Also 6 stanse (sense 4), 7 staunce, 9 stanch (sense 1 c). Now chiefly Sc. and north. [a. F. stance (now only in the sense ‘stanza’: see 4), ad. It. stanza station, stopping place, room, etc.: see STANZA.]
1. A standing-place, station, position.
1532. Boner, in St. Papers Hen. VIII., VII. 396. Beyng at a stance, where oon way turneth to the Popes lodging, and the other to the Emperours, the Pope departed from the Emperour.
c. 1618. Sylvester, Panaretus, 473. If in Earth shee yet have any Stance, ’Tis with the Cynois, Turks, or Scythians.
1640. R. Baillie, Canterb. Self-convict., 108. Yet now in our book it must change the place, and be brought to its owne old stance.
1816. Scott, Antiq., iv. From this stance it is probable … that Julius Agricola beheld what our Beaumont has so admirably described!
1822. Galt, Provost, xxxiii. Getting out the fire-engine from its stance under the stair.
1862. Beveridge, Hist. India, IV. iv. II. 143. One chapter is devoted to … stances for deities.
1892. Atkinson, Moorland Par., 319. One of my lads … shot fifteen of these depredators from one stance.
1895. Crockett, Sweetheart Trav., 262. Hastily we pushed the tricycle into an empty stone-breaker’s stance cut deep into the edge of the wood.
† b. At a stance: at a standstill. So to put to a stance. Obs.
c. 1678. in Kirkton’s Hist. Ch. Scot. (1817), 388, note.
| It seems your French trade, sir, is at a stance, | |
| Pray, doe not cheat the honest King of France. |
1697. W. Cleland, Poems, 11 (Jam.). But here my fancie’s at a stance.
1722. W. Hamilton, Wallace, 167 (Jam.). Their sad misfortunes, and unlucky chance, Which now had put their measures to a stance.
c. A platform for a workman to stand on.
1811. Naval Chron., XXV. 219. With a stanch six feet wide on the top, for the workmen to stand upon.
1886. J. Barrowman, Sc. Mining Terms, 63. Stance, a platform on which the men stand when working the lever in mineral boring.
d. In Golf and other games: The position of the player’s feet in playing a stroke.
1897. Outing, XXX. 426/1. The stance, the grip, the swing, that together make up, what they call a good style.
1897. Encycl. Sport, I. 473/2. (Golf).
1913. Blackw. Mag., Dec., 832/2. When Jessop does not come off in batting, the peculiarities of his style and stance are calculated to accentuate the failure.
† 2. A room, cell, cabinet. Also, a compartment in a shield. Obs. (Cf. STANZA 2.)
1632. Lithgow, Trav., X. 462. The Corregidor came out of his adioyning stance. Ibid., 476. The young English Priest entered my melancholly staunce. Ibid., 502. The third ioynd Staunce denotes to me a Galley.
3. A site; esp. an area for building upon. Also building-stance.
1631. Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot., 633/1. Molendinum … lie … wattirgang et stance ejusdem.
1649. Presbyt. Rec., in Campbell, Ch. & Par. Kirkcaldy (1904), 161. The stance of the Kirk intendit to be built.
1793. Statist. Acc. Scot., VIII. 253. Every man had a dry gravellish stance whereon to found his house.
1823. Scott, Peveril, xi. The higher part of the level ground afforded a stance for an old house.
1844. H. Stephens, Bk. Farm, III. 972. A large oblong hay-stack should be built in this way:… The stance should be raised 1 foot above the ground.
1884. North Brit. Daily Mail, 5 Aug., 6/5. Paisley Race Meeting…. A few stances of Ground for Tents are still to let.
† 4. = STANZA 1. Obs. rare.
1596. Harington, Apol. Ajax, Cc 6 b. They had quoted a stanse in Hary Osto beginning thus [etc.].
1598. Florio, Stanze,… a stance or staffe of verses or songs.
1613. Chapman, Mask Inns of Court, D 3. The Phœbades sing the first Stance of the second song.
