a district or region; _e.g._ Hindostan (the district watered by the R. Indus, Pers. _hindu_--water); Affghanistan (the district of the Affghans, who are said to have taken their designation from a certain chief called Malik Afghāna); Rajpootana (the district of the Rajpoots or king’s sons); Kurdistan (of the Kurds); Beloochistan (of the Beluchis); Gurgistan or Georgia (the district watered by the R. Kur or Kyros); Kaffaristan or Kaffraria (of the unbelievers); Arabistan (of the Arabs); Bootan (the district of the Highlanders); Dushistan (the south region), also called _Gurmsir_ (warm country); Gulistan (the district of roses); Baghistan (of gardens); Khorasan (the country of the sun); Zangistan or Zanguebar, Pers. and Ar. (the country or coast-lands of the Zangis)--_v._ BAHR. [Sidenote: STAPLE (Teut.),] literally a prop, support, or heap; but in the commerce of the Middle Ages it was applied, in the first place, to the buildings or towns in which the chief products of a district were treasured up or sold; and, in the second place, to the commodities themselves; _e.g._ Stapleton (the town of the market); Staplehurst and Stapleford (the wood and ford near the market-place); Dunstable (the market-place on the hill), formerly _Dunstaple_; Whitstable (white market-place); Barnstaple, anc. _Berstable_ (the market-place for the produce of the district--_beor_, what it bears). In France: Etaples, L’étape, Staple, etc. [Sidenote: STARY (Sclav.),] old; _e.g._ Stargard, Starogard (the old fortress); Stary-sedlo, Storosele, Starosol (the old settlement); Starodub (the old oak-tree); Starwitz, Staria, Starinka, Stariza (old place); Starobielsk (the old town on the R. Biela); Staro-Constantinov (the old town of Constantine). In places where the population is chiefly German this word takes the form of _stark_, as in Starkenburg, Starkenhorst; Istarda or Starova (old town), in Turkey; Staroi-Oskol (the old town on the R. Oskol, in opposition to Novoi-Oskol, the new town on that river). [Sidenote: STEIG, STIG, STY (Teut. and Scand.),] a steep path; _e.g._ Stickney (the island or watery meadow by the steep path); Kirchsteg (the steep path to the church); Durnsteeg (thorny path); Stiegmühle (the mill on the steep path); Amsteg (at the steep path). [Sidenote: STEORT (A.S.), STERZ (Old Ger.),] the tail--in topography a point; _e.g._ Startpoint, in Devonshire; Starston (the town on the point); Sterzhausen, Sterzmühle, Staartpolder--_v._ HAUS, MÜHLE, POLDER; Staartven (the marsh on the point). [Sidenote: STEPPES (Sclav.),] an uncultivated waste--a word applied to the extensive desert plains in Russia. [Sidenote: STER, or ESTER,]