Still, adv.
Etymology: [AS. stille quietly. See Still, a. The modern senses come from the idea of stopping and staying still, or motionless.]
1. To this time; until and during the time now present; now no less than before; yet. It hath been anciently reported, and is still received. Bacon.
2. In the future as now and before. Hourly joys be still upon you! Shak.
3. In continuation by successive or repeated acts; always; ever; constantly; uniformly. The desire of fame betrays an ambitious man into indecencies that lessen his reputation; he is still afraid lest any of his actions should be thrown away in private. Addison. Chemists would be rich if they could still do in great quantities what they have sometimes done in little. Boyle.
4. In an increasing or additional degree; even more; -- much used with comparatives. The guilt being great, the fear doth still exceed. Shak.
2 more senses
5. Notwithstanding what has been said or done; in spite of what has occured; nevertheless; -- sometimes used as a conjunction. See Synonym of But. As sunshine, broken in the rill, Though turned astray, is sunshine still. Moore.
6. After that; after what is stated. In the primitive church, such as by fear being compelled to sacrifice to strange gods, after repented, and kept still the office of preaching the gospel. Whitgift. Still and anon, at intervals and repeatedly; continually; ever and anon; now and then. And like the watchful minutes to the hour, Still and anon cheered up the heavy time. Shak.
6 other Webster entries under this spelling
Still, a. [Compar. Stiller; superl. Stillest.]
1. Motionless; at rest; quiet; as, to stand still; to lie or sit still. "Still as any stone." Chaucer.
2. Uttering no sound; silent; as, the audience is still; the animals are still. The sea that roared at thy command, At thy command was still. Addison.
3. Not disturbed by noise or agitation; quiet; calm; as, a still evening; a still atmosphere. "When all the woods are still." Milton.
4. Comparatively quiet or silent; soft; gentle; low. "A still small voice." 1 Kings xix. 12.
5. Constant; continual. [Obs.] By still practice learn to know thy meaning. Shak.
6. Not effervescing; not sparkling; as, still wines. Still life. (Fine Arts) (a) Inanimate objects. (b) (Painting) The class or style of painting which represents inanimate objects, as fruit, flowers, dead game, etc.
Syn. -- Quiet; calm; noiseless; serene; motionless; inert; stagnant.
Still, n.
1. Freedom from noise; calm; silence; as, the still of midnight. [Poetic]
2. A steep hill or ascent. [Obs.] W. Browne.
Still, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Stilled; p. pr. & vb. n. Stilling.]
1. To stop, as motion or agitation; to cause to become quiet, or comparatively quiet; to check the agitation of; as, to still the raging sea. He having a full sway over the water, had power to still and compose it, as well as to move and disturb it. Woodward.
2. To stop, as noise; to silence. With his name the mothers still their babies. Shak.
3. To appease; to calm; to quiet, as tumult, agitation, or excitement; as, to still the passions. Shak. Toil that would, at least, have stilled an unquiet impulse in me. Hawthorne.
Syn. -- To quiet; calm; allay; lull; pacify; appease; subdue; suppress; silence; stop; check; restrain.
Still, n.
1. A vessel, boiler, or copper used in the distillation of liquids; specifically, one used for the distillation of alcoholic liquors; a retort. The name is sometimes applied to the whole apparatus used in in vaporization and condensation.
2. A house where liquors are distilled; a distillery. Still watcher, a device for indicating the progress of distillation by the density of the liquid given over. Knight.
Still, v. t.
1. To cause to fall by drops.
2. To expel spirit from by heat, or to evaporate and condense in a refrigeratory; to distill. Tusser.
Still, v. i.
To drop, or flow in drops; to distill. [Obs.] Spenser.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for still; he lists it under allay, but, calm, notwithstanding, yet.
Where he writes about it:
We speak of a calm sea, a placid lake, a serene sky, a still night, a quiet day, a quiet home. — from calm
We speak, also, of "still waters," "smooth sailing," which are different modes of expressing freedom from manifest agitation. — from calm
The star of the unconquered will, He rises in my breast, Serene, and resolute, and still, And calm, and self-possessed. — from calm
Yet and still are weaker than notwithstanding, while stronger than but. — from notwithstanding
Yet and still have many closely related senses, and, with verbs of past time, are often interchangeable; we may say "while he was yet a child," or "while he was still a child." Yet, like still, often applies to past action or state extending to and including the present time, especially when joined with as; we can say "he is feeble as yet," or "he is still feeble," with scarcely appreciable difference of meaning, except that the former statement implies somewhat more of expectation than the latter. — from yet
Yet with a negative applies to completed action, often replacing a positive statement with still; "he is not gone yet" is nearly the same as "he is here still." Yet has a reference to the future which still does not share; "we may be successful yet" implies that success may begin at some future time; "we may be successful still" implies that we may continue to enjoy in the future such success as we are winning now. — from yet