Stark (?), a. [Compar. Starker (?); superl. Starkest.] [OE. stark stiff, strong, AS. stearc; akin to OS. starc strong, D. sterk, OHG. starc, starah, G. & Sw. stark, Dan. staerk, Icel. sterkr, Goth. gasta�xa3;rknan to become dried up, Lith. stregti to stiffen, to freeze. Cf. Starch, a. & n.] 1. Stiff; rigid.
Chaucer.
Whose senses all were straight benumbed and stark.
Spenser.
His heart gan wax as stark as marble stone.
Spenser.
Many a nobleman lies stark and stiff
Under the hoofs of vaunting enemies.
Shak.
The north is not so stark and cold.
B. Jonson.
2. Complete; absolute; full; perfect; entire. [Obs.]
Consider the stark security
The common wealth is in now.
B. Jonson.
3. Strong; vigorous; powerful.
A stark, moss-trooping Scot.
Sir W. Scott.
Stark beer, boy, stout and strong beer.
Beau. & Fl.
4. Severe; violent; fierce. [Obs.] "In starke stours." [i. e., in fierce combats].
Chaucer.
5. Mere; sheer; gross; entire; downright.
He pronounces the citation stark nonsense.
Collier.
Rhetoric is very good or stark naught; there's no medium in rhetoric.
Selden.
© Webster 1913.
Stark (?), adv. Wholly; entirely; absolutely; quite; as, stark mind.
Shak.
Held him strangled in his arms till he was stark dead.
Fuller.
Stark naked, wholly naked; quite bare.
Strip your sword stark naked.
Shak.
⇒ According to Professor Skeat, "stark-naked" is derived from steort-naked, or start-naked, literally tail-naked, and hence wholly naked. If this etymology be true the preferable form is stark-naked.
© Webster 1913.
Stark, v. t. To stiffen. [R.]
If horror have not starked your limbs.
H. Taylor.
© Webster 1913. | 
