story Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
    tale; narration; narrative.
    • his narrative was interesting
    • Disney's stories entertain adults as well as children
  2. noun a piece of fiction that narrates a chain of related events
    • he writes stories for the magazines
  3. noun a structure consisting of a room or set of rooms at a single position along a vertical scale
    level; storey; floor.
    • what level is the office on?
  4. noun a record or narrative description of past events
    account; chronicle; history.
    • a history of France
    • he gave an inaccurate account of the plot to kill the president
    • the story of exposure to lead
  5. noun a short account of the news
    report; account; news report; write up.
    • the report of his speech
    • the story was on the 11 o'clock news
    • the account of his speech that was given on the evening news made the governor furious
  6. noun a trivial lie
    fib; tale; taradiddle; tarradiddle.
    • he told a fib about eating his spinach
    • how can I stop my child from telling stories?

WordNet

Sto"ry noun
Etymology
OF. estoré, estorée, built, erected, p.p. of estorer to build, restore, to store. See Store, v. t.
Wordforms
plural Stories
Definitions
  1. 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. ✍ 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.
Sto"ry noun
Etymology
OE. storie, OF. estoire, F. histoire, fr. L. historia. See History.
Definitions
  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.
Sto"ry transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Storied ; present participle & verbal noun Storying
Definitions
  1. 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.

Webster 1913