Etymology From Middle English stot, from Old English stott (“a hack, jade, or worthless horse”), from Proto-West Germanic *stott, *stutt, of uncertain origin; yet, probably related to Old Norse stútr (“young bull, steer”) (whence Danish stud (“a castrated bull, steer”), Swedish stut (“a steer”)). Compare also English stoat.
Rory would never have believed that his half-hour had been a twelvemonth, "did not the calves grown now into stots, and the new-born babes now toddling about the house, at length convince him that in his single reel he had danced for a twelvemonth and a day."1850, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, London: H.G. Bohn, page 387:
stot
verb
Etymology Likely derived from Middle Dutch stoten (“to push”) or Middle Low German stôten, from Old Saxon stōtan, from Proto-West Germanic *stautan, from Proto-Germanic *stautaną (“to push, jolt, bump”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tewd-, from *(s)tew- (“to push, hit”). Also compare Middle English steten (“to thrust, strike, push, knock down”), Old Norse stauta and steyta (whence Danish støde), Gothic 𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌿𐍄𐌰𐌽 (stautan), Old Saxon stotan; as well, modern English stutter.
‘I've plenty of money in my bank – and I have my cheque book here – could one of you cash a cheque for five pounds? – I promise it won't stot.’1996, Alasdair Gray, “Lack of Money”, in Every Short Story 1951-2012, Canongate, published 2012, page 285:
Biology, Natural sciences, ZoologyOf quadrupeds To leap using all four legs at once.
This vigorous and conspicuous leaping in front of a predator is analogous to bird alarm calls, in that it seems to warn companions of danger while apparently calling the predator’s attention to the stotter himself. We have a responsibility to explain stotting Tommies and all similar phenomena, and this is something I am going to face in later chapters.1976, Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene, Kindle edition, OUP Oxford, published 2016, page 14:
Etymology Likely derived from Middle Dutch stoten (“to push”) or Middle Low German stôten, from Old Saxon stōtan, from Proto-West Germanic *stautan, from Proto-Germanic *stautaną (“to push, jolt, bump”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tewd-, from *(s)tew- (“to push, hit”). Also compare Middle English steten (“to thrust, strike, push, knock down”), Old Norse stauta and steyta (whence Danish støde), Gothic 𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌿𐍄𐌰𐌽 (stautan), Old Saxon stotan; as well, modern English stutter.
Instead of dropping the golden cones safely into his bag he let them dribble out of his hands so that, in the expectancy before the violence of the storm, the tiny stots from one transfigured branch to another could be clearly heard.1955, Robin Jenkins, The Cone-Gatherers, Canongate, published 2012, page 148:
2
Biology, Natural sciences, ZoologyOf quadrupeds A leap using all four legs at once.