stopple

English

Etymology

From Middle English stopple, stoppel, stoppell, partly from Old French estopail, estopaille, and partly equivalent to stop +‎ -le.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈstɒpəl/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒpəl

Noun

stopple (plural stopples)

1. A plug; a stopper.

Verb

stopple (third-person singular simple present stopples, present participle stoppling, simple past and past participle stoppled)

1. (transitive) To plug; to stop up.
   • c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii]:

     Shut your mouth, dame, / Or with this paper shall I stopple it.

Anagrams

• loppets, peltops, topples