stag / stag/ • n. a male deer. ∎  [usu. as adj.] a social gathering attended by men only: a stag event. ∎  a person who attends a social gathering unaccompanied by a partner.• adv. without a partner at a social gathering: a lot of boys went stag.ORIGIN: Middle English (as a noun): related to Old Norse steggr ‘male bird,’ Icelandic steggi ‘tomcat.’

stag a stag is the emblem of St Eustace, St Giles, St Hubert, and St Osyth (d. c.700), supposedly protected from the unwanted attentions of her husband by a white stag. The word is recorded from Middle English, and is related to Old Norse steggr ‘male bird’ and Icelandic steggi ‘tomcat’.

From the mid 19th century, stag has been used in Stock Exchange jargon for a person who applies for shares in a new issue with a view to selling at once for a profit.
stag night a celebration held for a man shortly before his wedding, attended by his male friends only.

Stag ★★ 1997 (R)

Bachelor party goes out of control and it's every guy for himself. Best man Michael (Van Peebles) surprises groom-to-be Victor (Stockwell) by inviting guys to his bachelor party that he hasn't seen in years—for good reason— such as drug dealer Pete (McCarthy). But when stripper Kelly (McShane) is accidentally killed, Pete's the only one to keep his cool and lay out their options. And this group is a lot more interested in self-preservation than in doing the right thing. 92m/ C VHS, DVD . Mario Van Peebles, Andrew McCarthy, John Stockwell, Kevin Dillon, Taylor Dane, William McNamara, Jerry Stiller, Ben Gazzara, John Henson, Jenny (Jennifer) McShane; D: Gavin Wilding; W: Evan Tylor; C: Maryse Alberti; M: Paul Zaza.

stag male of the (red) deer XII; (north.) young horse XIV; (dial.) full-grown castrated animal XVII; male of birds; (sl.) informer XVIII. OE. *stacga, *stagga, of unkn. orig.; perh. orig.; ‘male animal in its prime’ (cf. ON. staggr, staggi male bird).