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Stymie
Definitions
- 1 A situation where an opponent's ball is directly in the way of one's own ball and the hole, on the putting green (abolished 1952).
- 2 a thwarting and distressing situation wordnet
- 3 An obstacle or obstruction. broadly
"Mary, will you be mine? Shall we go round together? Will you fix up a match with me on the links of life which shall end only when the Grim Reaper lays us both a stymie?"
- 4 a situation in golf where an opponent's ball blocks the line between your ball and the hole wordnet
- 1 To thwart or stump; to cause to fail or to leave hopelessly puzzled, confused, or stuck.
"They had lost the key, and the lock stymied the first three locksmiths they called."
- 2 hinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of wordnet
- 3 To bring into the position of, or impede by, a stymie.
Etymology
From the meaning in golf (where the stymie ball blocks the other ball from "seeing" the hole), perhaps from Scots stymie, stimie (“person with poor eyesight”), from Scots stime (“the least bit”). Or from Scots styme (“tiny bit, glimmer”) as in se nocht ane styme (“not to see a glimmer (of something)”). If so, it is a doublet of stime.
From the meaning in golf (where the stymie ball blocks the other ball from "seeing" the hole), perhaps from Scots stymie, stimie (“person with poor eyesight”), from Scots stime (“the least bit”). Or from Scots styme (“tiny bit, glimmer”) as in se nocht ane styme (“not to see a glimmer (of something)”). If so, it is a doublet of stime.
See also for "stymie"
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Unscramble this word: stymie