A Stag Party Was Once Simply a Men-Only Dinner
A stag is an adult male deer. The word also marks all-male gatherings and share dealing.
A stag is an adult male deer, especially a red deer. From the image of males gathering apart came *stag party* and *going stag*, meaning attending an event without a partner — recorded in America from the 1830s for any men-only dinner, long before it meant a pre-wedding celebration. In British finance a *stag* is someone who buys shares in a new issue intending to sell immediately for a quick profit, one of several animal terms in the markets alongside bulls and bears.
- A male deer. *A red stag.*
- Men-only. *A stag party.*
- Without a partner. *Going stag.*
- A share trader. *A stag.*
- Old English — *stagga*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | stag | A stag. |
| Plural | stags | Stags. |
| Compound | stag party | A stag party. |
| Adverb | stag | Going stag. |
| Related | hart | A hart. |
- A stag stood on the ridge.Animal.
- He went to the stag party.Social.
- Stags sold on the first day.Finance.
Animals in the markets
- Bull — expects prices to rise
- Bear — expects prices to fall
- Stag — buys a new issue to sell immediately
- Lame duck — a defaulter, in older usage
- Dead cat bounce — a brief recovery in a falling market
Old English *stagga*, a male deer, of Germanic origin.
What does going stag mean?
Attending an event without a partner, from the older sense of a men-only gathering.
What is a stag in finance?
Someone who buys shares in a new issue intending to sell them at once for a quick profit.