st
st — noun
1. a written form of the word "saint" that comes before a person's name in the Chri
a written form of the word "saint" that comes before a person's name in the Christian tradition — you see it in church names, place names, and references to holy figures.
St Christopher is the patron saint of travelers.
St before a saint's name
The gold mosaics inside St Mark's Basilica are famous around the world.
Many Irish communities hold a big parade on St Patrick's Day.
Nora volunteered at St Vincent's Hospital for three years.
The oldest church in the square is dedicated to St Mary the Virgin.
文法句型
St + [name]
用法筆記
Always written with a capital S and a capital T when it stands for "Saint." The full name of the saint always follows immediately after St.
常見錯誤
❗ 'I visited saint Peter's Basilica.' ✅ 'I visited St Peter's' — Use the abbreviation St before a saint's name, not the full word "saint."
❗ 'The church of saint Peter is old.' ✅ 'The church of St Peter is old.' — St is the normal written abbreviation before a saint's name.
2. a short written form of the word "street," used in addresses, on maps, and on st
a short written form of the word "street," used in addresses, on maps, and on street signs to show a road where people live or work.
The new café is at 27 Baker St, just past the post office.
St after the street name in addresses
Shanti lives on Park St near the public library.
Turn left onto Oxford St and walk two blocks north.
The bookstore on Main St closes at eight every evening.
Their office is at 50 High St, next to the bank.
文法句型
[street name] + St
用法筆記
Always capitalized in addresses. Unlike the Saint abbreviation, St for "Street" comes after the name of the road (e.g., Oxford St), not before it. In British English the period is often omitted; in American English a period may be used (St.).
常見錯誤
❗ 'I live on St Baker.' ✅ 'I live on Baker St.' — For street names, St comes after the name, not before it.
❗ 'I live at Baker St.' ✅ 'I live on Baker St.' — Use "on" for street names, and "at" for a full address with a number.
3. a short written form of the word "stone," a British unit for measuring a person'
a short written form of the word "stone," a British unit for measuring a person's body weight — one stone equals fourteen pounds, or roughly 6.35 kilograms.
The doctor noted that his weight was 12 st 6 lb.
st + lb for stone and pounds
Baby weight in UK hospitals is still recorded in st and lb.
Hugo had lost nearly two st by following the diet plan.
Her medical chart in London showed a weight of 10 st 3 lb.
文法句型
[number] + st
[number] st [number] lb
用法筆記
This abbreviation is almost exclusively British. Outside the UK and Ireland, people are unlikely to understand it. The plural is also "st" (not "sts"): she weighs 9 st. Usually written in lowercase.
常見錯誤
❗ 'He weighs 12 sts.' ✅ 'He weighs 12 st.' — The abbreviation does not change in the plural.
❗ 'She lost three st of potatoes.' ✅ 'She lost three stone of potatoes.' — The stone unit is now used mainly for body weight, not for food or goods.
st — verb
1. a shorter written form of the old English suffix -est, added to the end of some
a shorter written form of the old English suffix -est, added to the end of some verbs when the subject of the sentence is "thou" (meaning "you," one person) — in modern English this form has disappeared except in poetry, old religious texts, and historical writing.
In Shakespeare's plays, characters often say "thou know'st" instead of "you know."
suffix attached to verbs with 'thou'
The old hymn contains the line "thou, O Lord, mak'st me safe and sound."
A reader of old poetry finds "thou think'st" and needs a note to understand it.
Elena recognized the word "say'st" from a poem she studied in class.
文法句型
thou + [verb]'st
用法筆記
This suffix appears only in very old or deliberately old-fashioned English. Modern English uses "you" for both singular and plural, with no special verb ending. The contracted form ending in -'st (e.g., know'st, mak'st, think'st) is even rarer than the full -est form (knowest, makest, thinkest).
常見錯誤
❗ 'Thou know'st him.' (in modern conversation) ✅ 'You know him.' — Never use this form in modern spoken or written English; it sounds unnatural and old-fashioned.
❗ 'She think'st it is true.' ✅ 'She thinks it is true.' — The -'st suffix only goes with "thou," not with "she," "he," or any other subject.