Lewis & Short

stīpĕs, ĭtis (collat. form stips, stīpis, Petr. 43, 5), m. [root stip-, = Gr. στεφ-; v. stipo; Sanscr. sthapa-jami, to cause to stand, to fix, place; cf. stipula].

  1. I. Lit., a log, stock, post, trunk of a tree, etc. (class.; syn.: palus, sudes), Cat. 64, 289; Caes. B. G. 7, 73; id. B. C. 1, 27; Tib. 1, 1, 11 (21); Prop. 4 (5), 2, 18; Ov. M. 8, 451; id. F. 2, 642; 5, 506; Verg. A. 7, 524; Curt. 8, 10, 30; 4, 3, 10: deligare ad stipitem, to a stake, Suet. Ner. 29.
    As a term of contempt, like our log, stock, post, of a stupid person: in me quidvis harum rerum convenit, Quae sunt dicta in stultum, caudex, stipes, asinus, plumbeus, Ter. Heaut. 5, 1, 4: qui, tamquam truncus atque stipes, si stetisset modo, posset sustinere tamen titulum consulatus, Cic. Pis. 9, 19; cf. id. Har. Resp. 3, 5; id. ap. Senat. 6, 14; Claud. in Eutr. 1, 126.
  2. II. Transf., poet.
      1. 1. A tree, Ov. F. 3, 37; id. de Nuce, 32; Verg. A. 4, 444; Claud. Cons. Prob. et Olybr. 179.
      2. 2. A branch of a tree, Luc. 9, 820; Mart. 13, 19, 2: candelabri, the main stem of the candlestick, Vulg. Exod. 37, 19.

1. stips, stĭpis (nom. does not occur, although stips is assumed by Varr. L. L. 5, § 182 Müll.; Charis. 85 P.; cf. Gloss. stips, ἔρανος), f. [kindr. with stipo, and therefore, orig., small coin in heaps; hence, in partic.], a gift, donation, alms, contribution, given in small coin: etiam nunc dis cum thesauris asses dant, stipem dicunt, Varr. L. L. 5, § 182 Müll.: stipem esse nummum signatum testimonio est, quod datur in stipendium militi et cum spondetur pecunia, quod stipulari dicitur, Fest. pp. 296 and 297 Müll.; cf.: stipendium a stipe appellatum est, quod per stipes, id est modica aera colligatur, Dig. 50, 16, 27: stipem Apollini conferre, Liv. 25, 12; so of religious donations, id. 27, 37; 5, 25; Cic. Leg. 2, 9, 21; 2, 16, 40; Suet. Aug. 57: quis beneficium dicat quadram panis aut stipem aeris abjecti, Sen. Ben. 4, 29, 2; so of alms, id. Vit. Beat. 25; Dig. 47, 22, 1; cf. Liv. 38, 45; Suet. Aug. 91 fin.: ad captandas stipes, id. Calig. 42; Ov. F. 1, 189: pastiones non minimam colono stipem conferunt, bring in no small profit, Col. 8, 1, 2: suburbanum hortum exiguā colere stipe, Curt. 4, 1, 19: parvā cur stipe quaerat opes, Ov. F. 4, 350; cf. Quint. 1, 12, 18: e prostitutis ancilla mercenariae stipis, living by the wages of prostitution, Plin. 10, 63, 83, § 172: nodosam exsolvite stipem, penalty, Val. Max. 2, 9, 1.

2. stips, īpis, v. stipes init.