pain: Alleviation of pain: …pain may be treated by transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), in which electrodes are placed on the skin above the painful area. The stimulation of additional peripheral nerve endings has an inhibitory effect on the nerve fibres generating the pain. Acupuncture, compresses, and heat treatment may operate by the same…

aggressive behaviour: Physiological causes of aggression: …inevitably triggered by a particular stimulus or by collections of stimuli. Depending on the internal state of the potential attacker, the same opponent may be attacked on one occasion but ignored on another. In particular, an individual’s tendency to attack a rival is influenced by the activity of key structures…

Gustav Fechner: …in relation to the physical magnitude of stimuli. Most important, he devised an equation to express the theory of the just-noticeable difference, advanced earlier by Ernst Heinrich Weber. This theory concerns the sensory ability to discriminate when two stimuli (e.g., two weights) are just noticeably different from each other. Later…

transfer of training: Stimulus predifferentiation: Educational films can be considered as everyday examples of stimulus predifferentiation, in which the individual gets preliminary information to be used in subsequent learning. The student who sees a film describing the various parts of a microscope is likely to be better prepared…

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), legislation, enacted by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by Pres. Barack Obama in 2009, that was designed to stimulate the U.S. economy by saving jobs jeopardized by the Great Recession of 2008–09 and creating new jobs. In December 2007 the U.S.

illusion: Stimulus-distortion illusions: This type of illusory sense perception arises when the environment changes or warps the stimulus energy on the way to the person, who perceives it in its distorted pattern (as in the case of the “bent” pencil referred to above).

animal behaviour: Instinctive learning: …to associate a novel (conditioned) stimulus with a familiar (unconditioned) one. For example, in his study of classical conditioning, Russian physiologist Ivan Petrovich Pavlov demonstrated that by consistently exposing a dog to a particular sound (novel stimulus) and simultaneously placing meat powder (familiar stimulus) in its mouth the dog could…

stimulus-response theory, idea that learning and behaviour can be explained by interactions between stimuli and the responses they evoke. Stimulus-response theory developed from early conceptions of conditioning, a behavioral process whereby a response becomes more frequent or more predictable in a

stimulus-response theory, idea that learning and behaviour can be explained by interactions between stimuli and the responses they evoke. Stimulus-response theory developed from early conceptions of conditioning, a behavioral process whereby a response becomes more frequent or more predictable in a

learning theory: Repetition: …Guthrie has led to so-called stimulus-sampling theory. The theory assumes that associations indeed are made in just one trial. However, learning seems slow, it is said, because the environment (context) in which it occurs is complex and constantly changing. Given a changing environment, the sample of stimuli will differ from…

human nervous system: Theories of pain: The stimulus-specific theory of pain proposes that pain results from interactions between various impulses arriving at the spinal cord and brain, that these impulses travel to the spinal cord in certain nonmyelinated and small myelinated fibers, and that the specific stimuli that excite these nerve fibers…

Bethany: Stinchcomb Wildlife Refuge, on the lake’s north shore, provides habitat for many songbirds and waterfowl and is used as a U.S. Department of the Interior banding station. Inc. 1910. Pop. (2000) 20,307; (2010) 19,051.

organizational analysis: Other influences in organizational development: …Organizations (1965), the American sociologist Arthur L. Stinchcombe compared the American textile industry (one of the oldest industries in the country) with the newer automotive industry to argue that the key features of organizations in any industry are related to the era in which the industry emerges. Stinchcombe called this…

R.L. Stine is an American novelist who was best known for his horror books for children, including the Goosebumps and Fear Street series. Stine graduated from the Ohio State University in 1965, having served three years as editor of the campus humour magazine, the Sundial. After teaching junior

R.L. Stine is an American novelist who was best known for his horror books for children, including the Goosebumps and Fear Street series. Stine graduated from the Ohio State University in 1965, having served three years as editor of the campus humour magazine, the Sundial. After teaching junior

Sting is a British singer and songwriter known both for being the front man of the band the Police and for his successful solo career that followed. His musical style was distinguished by its intermingling of pop, jazz, world music, and other genres. Gordon Sumner grew up in a Roman Catholic family

radio: Radio music: “Stings” were musical cues that came in sharply and dramatically, often played just after an actor had delivered a line indicating a new turn in the story line. Many radio shows also had distinctive theme songs; some of them became indelibly associated with particular performers.

stingray, any of a number of flat-bodied rays noted for the long, sharp spines on their tails. They are sometimes placed in a single family, Dasyatidae, but often separated into two families, Dasyatidae and Urolophidae. Stingrays are disk-shaped and have flexible, tapering tails armed, in most

The Sting, American caper movie, released in 1973, that was one of the most popular films of the 1970s and the second on-screen pairing of Paul Newman and Robert Redford. It won seven Academy Awards, including that for best picture. (Read Martin Scorsese’s Britannica essay on film preservation.)

whip-tailed ray, any of certain stingrays of the family Dasyatidae. See

rocket and missile system: Passive: Stinger and British Blowpipe proved effective against Soviet aircraft and helicopters in Afghanistan, as did the U.S. Redeye in Central America.

millepore, (Millepora), any of a genus of invertebrate marine animals comprising the order Milleporina (phylum Cnidaria). Millepores are common in shallow tropical seas to depths of 30 metres (about 100 feet). Unlike the true corals, which belong to the class Anthozoa, millepores are closely

angiosperm: Dermal tissue: …plants produce secretory (glandular) or stinging hairs (e.g., stinging nettle, Urtica dioica; Urticaceae) for chemical defense against herbivores. In insectivorous plants, trichomes have a part in trapping and digesting insects. Prickles, such as those found in roses, are an outgrowth of the epidermis and are an effective deterrent against herbivores.

stinging nettle, (Urtica dioica), weedy perennial plant of the nettle family (Urticaceae), known for its stinging leaves. Stinging nettle is distributed nearly worldwide but is especially common in Europe, North America, North Africa, and parts of Asia. The plant is common in herbal medicine, and

bicycle: The modern bicycle: …that was typified by the Schwinn Stingray. These high-rise bicycles had small wheels, banana-shaped saddles, and long handlebars. By 1968 they made up about 75 percent of U.S. bicycle sales, and 20 million teenagers owned high-rise bicycles. Upon outgrowing them, however, the young consumers switched to 10-speeds, so named because…

stingray, any of a number of flat-bodied rays noted for the long, sharp spines on their tails. They are sometimes placed in a single family, Dasyatidae, but often separated into two families, Dasyatidae and Urolophidae. Stingrays are disk-shaped and have flexible, tapering tails armed, in most

Botany Bay, inlet of the Tasman Sea (Pacific Ocean), indenting New South Wales, Australia. Roughly circular, about 5 miles (8 km) across and 1 mile (1.6 km) wide at its mouth (between the La Perouse and Kurnell peninsulas), it receives the Georges and Cooks rivers. The bay was the site in 1770 of

skunk: In the 1990s stink badgers, or false badgers (genus Mydaus; see badger), became classified as members of the family Mephitidae, and they thus are now considered skunks. Found only in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia, they resemble small North American hog-nosed skunks with shorter tails. Their white stripes…

love grass: Stink grass (E. cilianensis), a weedy, coarse annual, has a musty odour produced by glands on its leaves and can be poisonous to livestock if consumed in large amounts. Teff (E. tef) is a widely cultivated cereal grain in Ethiopia and neighbouring countries and has…

stinkbug, (family Pentatomidae), any of about 5,000 species of insects in the true bug order, Heteroptera, that are named for the foul-smelling secretions they produce. These odours may be transferred to the resting place of the insect, such as plants, fruits, or leaves, giving them a disagreeable

hydrogen sulfide, colourless, extremely poisonous, gaseous compound formed by sulfur with hydrogen (see

fulmar: The giant fulmar, also known as the giant petrel (Macronectes giganteus), with a length of about 90 cm (3 feet) and a wingspread in excess of 200 cm (6.5 feet), is by far the largest member of the family. This species nests on islands around the…

neuropteran, (order Neuroptera), any of a group of insects commonly called lacewings because of the complex vein patterns in the wings, giving them a lacy appearance. In a strict sense, the order Neuroptera includes only the lacewings. However, two other closely related insect groups are frequently

stinkhorn, any fungus of the order Phallales (phylum Basidiomycota, kingdom Fungi), typified by a phalluslike, ill-smelling fruiting body. Stinkhorns produce odours that attract the flies and other insects that assist in dispersing the reproductive bodies (spores). Their appearance is often sudden;

stinking yew, (species Torreya taxifolia), an ornamental evergreen conifer tree of the yew family (Taxaceae), limited in distribution to western Florida and southwestern Georgia, U.S. The stinking yew, which grows to 13 metres (about 43 feet) in height in cultivation, carries an open pyramidal head

spiderflower: Rocky Mountain bee plant, or stinking clover (C. serrulata), is a summer-flowering annual of North American damp prairies and mountains. About 50 to 150 cm (20 to 60 inches) tall, it has three-parted leaves and clusters of spidery pink flowers with long stamens.

melon: Plants resembling true melons include the related watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) and Chinese watermelon, or wax gourd (Benincasa hispida), as well as the unrelated tree melon, or papaya (Carica papaya, family Caricaceae), and melon…

henbane, (Hyoscyamus niger), highly toxic plant of the nightshade family (Solanaceae), native to Eurasia and naturalized throughout much of the world. The dried leaves of henbane, and sometimes those of Egyptian henbane (H. muticus) and white henbane (H. albus), yield three medicinal

California nutmeg, (Torreya californica), ornamental evergreen conifer of the yew family (Taxaceae), found naturally only in California. Growing to a height of 24 metres (about 79 feet) or more, the tree bears spreading, slightly drooping branches. Although pyramidal in shape when young, it may be

bunt, fungal disease of wheat, rye, and other grasses. Infection by Tilletia tritici (formerly T. caries) or T. laevis (formerly T. foetida) causes normal kernels to be replaced by “smut balls” containing powdery masses of brownish black spores characterized by a dead-fish odour. Smut balls break

sweet William, (Dianthus barbatus), garden plant in the pink family (Caryophyllaceae), grown for its clusters of small bright-coloured flowers. It is usually treated as a biennial, seed sown the first year producing flowering plants the second year. The plant, growing to a height of 60 cm (2 feet),

stinking yew, (species Torreya taxifolia), an ornamental evergreen conifer tree of the yew family (Taxaceae), limited in distribution to western Florida and southwestern Georgia, U.S. The stinking yew, which grows to 13 metres (about 43 feet) in height in cultivation, carries an open pyramidal head

Jon Scieszka: The Stinky Cheese Man, and Other Fairly Stupid Tales (1992, also illustrated by Smith), a wacky twist on some familiar fairy tales, was named a Caldecott Honor Book.

Hugo Stinnes was a German industrialist who emerged after World War I as Germany’s “business kaiser,” controlling coal mines, steel mills, hotels, electrical factories, newspapers, shipping lines, and banks. At age 20 Stinnes inherited his father’s interest in the family business. Since 1808 the

organized labour: From World War I to 1968: The institutionalization of unions and collective bargaining: …of comprehensive social pacts—like the Stinnes-Legien Agreement in Germany—that were negotiated between national organizations of capital and labour and underwritten by the government, apparently foreshadowing a continuing role of unions in the governance of national economies.

the Replacements: April 26, 1961, Minneapolis), guitarist Bob Stinson (b. December 17, 1959, Mound, Minnesota—d. February 15, 1995, Minneapolis), and bassist Tommy Stinson (b. October 6, 1966, San Diego, California).

the Replacements: …15, 1995, Minneapolis), and bassist Tommy Stinson (b. October 6, 1966, San Diego, California).

peep, any of about a dozen species of small sandpipers. Some are also called oxbirds or oxeyes. See

needlegrass, (genus Stipa), genus of about 150 species of grasses in the family Poaceae, characterized by sharply pointed grains and long threadlike awns (bristles). Most needlegrasses provide good forage in dry areas before the seed is formed, but the sharp grain of some species may puncture the

esparto: …species of gray-green needlegrasses (Stipa tenacissima and Lygeum spartum) in the family Poaceae that are indigenous to southern Spain and northern Africa; the term also denotes the fibre obtained from those grasses. Esparto fibre has great strength and flexibility, and both species have for centuries been used for making…

orchid: Characteristic morphological features: …of tissue is called the stipe and should not be confused with the caudicles, which are derived from the anther. Orchids that have a stipe also have caudicles that connect the pollinia to the apex of the stipe. The pollinia, stipe, and viscidium are called the pollinarium.

mushroom: Form and major groups: …(pileus) and a stalk (stipe). The sporophore emerges from an extensive underground network of threadlike strands (mycelium). An example of an agaric is the honey mushroom (Armillaria mellea). Mushroom mycelia may live hundreds of years or die in a few months, depending on the available food supply. As long…

R.E.M.: The members were lead singer Michael Stipe (b. January 4, 1960, Decatur, Georgia, U.S.), guitarist Peter Buck (b. December 6, 1956, Berkeley, California), bassist Mike Mills (b. December 17, 1958, Orange, California), and drummer Bill Berry (b. July 31, 1958, Duluth,

crime: Trial procedure: …legally qualified magistrates, known as stipendiary magistrates. The stipendiary magistrate can sit alone, but lay magistrates may sit only as a bench of two or more. Magistrates’ courts commit the trials of more serious crimes—such as murder, rape, and robbery—to the Crown Court system. These courts consist of a judge…

police: The stipendiary police: From the early 16th to the early 19th century, some groups of merchants, traders, church members, insurers, and others employed private individuals to protect their property and their persons. Protection thus became a commodity, available to anyone who had sufficient resources. In addition,…

Werner Herzog is a German motion-picture director whose unusual films captured men and women at psychological extremes. With Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Volker Schlöndorff, Herzog led the influential postwar West German cinema movement. During his youth, Herzog studied history, literature, and

emu-wren, any of the three species of the Australian genus Stipiturus, of the songbird family Maluridae. In these tiny birds the narrow, cocked tail consists of six wispy feathers—in quality, like the feathers of the emu. The most widespread species, the southern emu-wren (S. malachurus), is

emu-wren: The most widespread species, the southern emu-wren (S. malachurus), is streaked brown, with pale-blue throat in the male. Emu-wrens are shy inhabitants of wet and dry scrublands.

printmaking: Crayon manner and stipple engraving: Stipple engraving, also a reproduction method, is closely related to the crayon manner. The exact date of its invention is not known, but it is reasonably certain that it came after the crayon manner. The first step in stipple engraving was to etch in the…

stipulatio, in Roman law, a form of contract based upon a simple question and answer. It had no parallel in other legal systems. Stipulatio developed, at first, with very strict rules. Although no witnesses were required, both parties had to be present during the entire proceedings, which had to be

definition: Stipulative definition assigns a new meaning to an expression (or a meaning to a new expression); the expression defined (definiendum) may either be a new expression that is being introduced into the language for the first time, or an expression that is already current.

angiosperm: Leaves: …of a leaf base, two stipules, a petiole, and a blade (lamina). The leaf base is the slightly expanded area where the leaf attaches to the stem. The paired stipules, when present, are located on each side of the leaf base and may resemble scales, spines, glands, or leaflike structures.…

Sidney Poitier: Poitier as a director: Poitier did not act in Stir Crazy (1980), which featured Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor as a pair of losers who are mistakenly sent to prison; the film was an enormous box-office hit. Poitier had less success with Hanky Panky (1982), which teamed Wilder and his real-life wife, Gilda Radner,…

wok: …variety of cooking methods, including stir-frying, boiling, braising, poaching, and stewing. The addition of a rack and cover converts the wok into a steamer. Originally designed for use on wood- or charcoal-burning Chinese stoves, woks have been adapted for Western use by the addition of a metal ring, which is…

Stirlingshire, historic county, central Scotland. In the west it borders Loch Lomond and incorporates a section of the Highlands. It extends east into the Midland Valley (Central Lowlands) between the Rivers Forth and Kelvin. At the centre of Stirlingshire the volcanic Campsie Fells and Kilsyth and

Stirling, royal burgh (town), Stirling council area, historic county of Stirlingshire, south-central Scotland, on the right bank of the River Forth. The precipitous 250-foot- (75-metre-) high volcanic plug on which the present castle stands was probably occupied by the early British Picts. The

Stirling, council area, central Scotland. The area south of Loch Katrine and the River Forth lies within the historic county of Stirlingshire, and the area to the north belongs to the historic county of Perthshire. It borders Loch Lomond to the west and spans the Highland Boundary Fault, which

Battle of Stirling Bridge: The two sides met at Stirling Bridge, known as the gateway to the Scottish Highlands. A large English army commanded by John de Warrene, the Earl of Surrey, arrived and demanded Wallace’s surrender. When Wallace ignored the order, the English force attempted to cross the River Forth via a narrow…

The kings of England repeatedly sought to extend their rule north of the border into Scotland. The death of Margaret, the queen of Scotland, in 1290 gave Edward I of England the chance to take over the country, but his intentions were dashed with a major defeat at the hands of William Wallace on

Stirling Castle, historically and architecturally significant castle, mostly dating from 15th and 16th centuries, in Stirling, Scotland. Dominating major east–west and north–south routes, the fortress’s strategic importance gave it a key role in Scottish history. Standing 250 feet (75 m) higher

energy conversion: Stirling engine: …Scotland to invent a power cycle that operated without a high-pressure boiler. In his engine (patented in 1816), air was heated by external combustion through a heat exchanger and then was displaced, compressed, and expanded by two pistons. Stirling also conceived the idea of a regenerator to store thermal energy…

energy conversion: Stirling engine: Many of the early high-pressure steam boilers exploded because of poor materials and faulty methods of construction. The resultant casualties and property losses motivated Robert Stirling of Scotland to invent a power cycle that operated without a high-pressure boiler. In his engine (patented…

Southwark: …whose design won the 2000 Stirling Prize for architectural innovation; City Hall (2002), headquarters of the Greater London Authority, designed by Lord Norman Foster; Canada Water Library (2011); and the Shard at London Bridge (2012), a 1,016-foot (310-metre) skyscraper designed by Renzo Piano.

Stirling Range, mountains in southwestern Western Australia. They rise from a low plateau 40 miles (65 km) north of Albany and run parallel to the coast for 50 miles (80 km). The range reaches its highest point at Bluff Knoll, 3,596 feet (1,096 m). Sighted in 1802 by Matthew Flinders, the range was

Stirling Range: …the adjoining plains became the Stirling Range National Park, with an area of 447 square miles (1,157 square km). The park has steep rocky peaks, excellent coastal views, and a wide variety of vegetation.

James Stirling was a Scottish mathematician who contributed important advances to the theory of infinite series and infinitesimal calculus. No absolutely reliable information about Stirling’s undergraduate education in Scotland is known. According to one source, he was educated at the University of

Stirling’s formula, in analysis, a method for approximating the value of large factorials (written n!; e.g., 4! = 1 × 2 × 3 × 4 = 24) that uses the mathematical constants e (the base of the natural logarithm) and π. The formula is given by The Scottish mathematician James Stirling published his

Stirling’s formula, in analysis, a method for approximating the value of large factorials (written n!; e.g., 4! = 1 × 2 × 3 × 4 = 24) that uses the mathematical constants e (the base of the natural logarithm) and π. The formula is given by The Scottish mathematician James Stirling published his

David Stirling was a British army officer who founded and led the elite British Special Air Service (SAS) regiment during World War II. The son of a brigadier general, Stirling attended Trinity College, Cambridge, for a year; in 1939 he joined the Scots Guard Supplementary Reserve of Officers and

David Stirling was a British army officer who founded and led the elite British Special Air Service (SAS) regiment during World War II. The son of a brigadier general, Stirling attended Trinity College, Cambridge, for a year; in 1939 he joined the Scots Guard Supplementary Reserve of Officers and

James Stirling was a Scottish mathematician who contributed important advances to the theory of infinite series and infinitesimal calculus. No absolutely reliable information about Stirling’s undergraduate education in Scotland is known. According to one source, he was educated at the University of

Australia: Settlement: A British naval captain, James Stirling, examined the Swan River in 1827 and interested English capitalist-adventurers in colonization. Two years later he returned to the Swan as governor of the new colony of Western Australia. The Colonial Office discouraged schemes for massive proprietorial grants; still the idea persisted, with…

Hegelianism: Logic and metaphysics problems: Italy, England: …pioneer in English Hegelianism was James Hutchison Stirling, through his work The Secret of Hegel (1865). Stirling reaffirmed the lineage of thought that Fischer had traced “from Kant to Hegel,” endeavouring to penetrate the dialectic-speculative relationship of unity in multiplicity as the central point of the dialectic. Toward Hegelianism as…

pre-Columbian civilizations: Veracruz and Chiapas: …was read by its discoverer, Matthew W. Stirling, as a date in the Maya calendar corresponding to 31 bce; this is more than a century earlier than any known dated inscription from the Maya area itself. Thus, it is highly probable that this calendrical system, formerly thought to be a…

Robert Stirling was a Scottish clergyman best known as the inventor of the Stirling engine, a type of external-combustion engine. He also invented optical devices and other instruments. Stirling’s first patent was granted in 1816 for what became known as the Stirling cycle engine. His company

David Stirling was a British army officer who founded and led the elite British Special Air Service (SAS) regiment during World War II. The son of a brigadier general, Stirling attended Trinity College, Cambridge, for a year; in 1939 he joined the Scots Guard Supplementary Reserve of Officers and

Sir James Stirling was a British architect known for his unorthodox, sometimes controversial, designs of multiunit housing and public buildings. Stirling received his architectural training at the University of Liverpool’s School of Architecture (1945–50). He began practice in the early 1950s in

Sir James Stirling was a British architect known for his unorthodox, sometimes controversial, designs of multiunit housing and public buildings. Stirling received his architectural training at the University of Liverpool’s School of Architecture (1945–50). He began practice in the early 1950s in

William Alexander, 1st earl of Stirling was a Scottish courtier, statesman, and poet who founded and colonized the region of Nova Scotia in Canada. When King James VI of Scotland ascended the English throne as James I in 1603, Alexander attended his court in London. He there wrote, in 1604, his

William Alexander, 1st earl of Stirling was a Scottish courtier, statesman, and poet who founded and colonized the region of Nova Scotia in Canada. When King James VI of Scotland ascended the English throne as James I in 1603, Alexander attended his court in London. He there wrote, in 1604, his

Stirlingshire, historic county, central Scotland. In the west it borders Loch Lomond and incorporates a section of the Highlands. It extends east into the Midland Valley (Central Lowlands) between the Rivers Forth and Kelvin. At the centre of Stirlingshire the volcanic Campsie Fells and Kilsyth and

Max Stirner was a German antistatist philosopher in whose writings many anarchists of the late 19th and the 20th centuries found ideological inspiration. His thought is sometimes regarded as a source of 20th-century existentialism. After teaching in a girls’ preparatory school in Berlin, Stirner

Afro-Asiatic languages: The verbal system: …(forming what are called “stirpes” or “themes”) use root modification (infixes) and derivative affixes together with partial or complete reduplication to indicate repeated action. Derivational markers may combine, which makes it possible for a single verb to indicate repeated action (by what is called the iterative derivation of the…

Afro-Asiatic languages: The verbal system: …(forming what are called “stirpes” or “themes”) use root modification (infixes) and derivative affixes together with partial or complete reduplication to indicate repeated action. Derivational markers may combine, which makes it possible for a single verb to indicate repeated action (by what is called the iterative derivation of the…

Matthias de L’Obel: …Flemish-born physician and botanist whose Stirpium adversaria nova (1570; written in collaboration with Pierre Pena) was a milestone in modern botany. It argued that botany and medicine must be based on thorough, exact observation.

John Gerard: …based on a translation of Stirpium historiae pemptades sex (1583), by the Flemish botanist Rembertus Dodoens. Of the more than 1,800 woodcuts illustrating the book, only 16 were done by Gerard. The remainder came from Jacob Theodorus Tabernaemontanus’ Eicones plantarum seu stirpium (1590).

Wilco: …5, 1960, Nashville, Tennessee), bassist John Stirratt (b. November 26, 1967, New Orleans, Louisiana), and string player Max Johnston (byname of Maxwell Johnston). Later members included guitarist Jay Bennett (b. November 15, 1963, Rolling Meadows, Illinois—found dead May 24, 2009, Urbana, Illinois), steel guitar player Bob Egan (b. July 12,…

ear bone: …incus, or anvil, and the stapes, or stirrup. Together they form a short chain that crosses the middle ear and transmits vibrations caused by sound waves from the eardrum membrane to the liquid of the inner ear. The malleus resembles a club more than a hammer, whereas the incus looks…

stirrup, either of a pair of light frames hung from the saddle attached to the back of an animal—usually a horse or pony. Stirrups are used to support a rider’s feet in riding and to aid in mounting. Stirrups probably originated in the Asian steppes about the 2nd century bc. They enormously

stirrup cup, originally a drink offered to a man mounted on horseback and about to depart for the hunt; now, the drinking vessel itself. Commonly connected with hunting, many of the cups are made of silver and engraved with mottoes taken from the chase. They are usually in the form of a fox’s head