Story, n.
Etymology: [OE. storie, OF. estoire, F. histoire, fr. L. historia. See History.]
1. A narration or recital of that which has occurred; a description of past events; a history; a statement; a record. One malcontent who did indeed get a name in story. Barrow. Venice, with its unique city and its Impressive story. Ed. Rev. The four great monarchies make the subject of ancient story. Sir W. Temple.
2. The relation of an incident or minor event; a short narrative; a tale; especially, a fictitious narrative less elaborate than a novel; a short romance. Addison.
3. A euphemism or child's word for "a lie;" a fib; as, to tell a story. [Colloq.]
2 other Webster entries under this spelling
Story, n.; pl. Stories.
A set of rooms on the same floor or level; a floor, or the space between two floors. Also, a horizontal division of a building's exterior considered architecturally, which need not correspond exactly with the stories within. [Written also storey.]
Note: A story comprehends the distance from one floor to another; as, a story of nine or ten feet elevation. The spaces between floors are numbered in order, from below upward; as, the lower, second, or third story; a house of one story, of two stories, of five stories. Story post (Arch.), a vertical post used to support a floor or superincumbent wall.
Story, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Storied; p. pr. & vb. n. Storying.]
To tell in historical relation; to make the subject of a story; to narrate or describe in story. How worthy he is I will leave to appear hereafter, rather than story him in his own hearing. Shak. It is storied of the brazen colossus in Rhodes, that it was seventy cubits high. Bp. Wilkins.
Shades of meaning
A story is the telling of some series of connected incidents or events, whether real or fictitious, in prose or verse, orally or in writing; or the series of incidents or events thus related may be termed a story. In children's talk, a story is a common euphemism for a falsehood. Tale is nearly synonymous with story, but is somewhat archaic; it is used for an imaginative, legendary, or fictitious recital, especially if of ancient date; as, a fairy tale; also, for an idle or malicious report; as, do not tell tales; "where there is no tale-bearer, the strife ceaseth." Prov. xxvi, 20. An anecdote tells briefly some incident, assumed to be fact. If it passes close limits of brevity, it ceases to be an anecdote, and becomes a narrative or narration. A traditional or mythical story of ancient times is a legend. A history is often somewhat poetically called a story; as, the story of the American civil war. Compare allegory; fiction; history.