sturdy

Etymology

From Middle English sturdy, stourdy, stordy (“bold, valiant, strong, stern, fierce, rebellious”) (perhaps influenced by Middle English sture, stoure, stor (“strong, robust, harsh, stern, violent, fierce, sturdy”); see English stour), from Old French estourdi (“dazed”), form of estourdir, originally “to daze, to make tipsy (almost drunk)” (Modern French étourdir (“to daze, to make tipsy”)), from Vulgar Latin *exturdire. Latin etymology is unclear – presumably it is ex- + turdus (“thrush (bird)”), but how this should mean “daze” is unclear. A speculative theory is that thrushes eat leftover winery grapes and thus became drunk, but this meets with objections. Disease in cows and sheep is by extension of sense of “daze”, while sense of “strongly built” is of late 14th century, and relationship to earlier sense is less clear, perhaps from sense of a firm strike (causing a daze) or a strong, violent person.

adj

1. Of firm build; stiff; stout; strong.
   a sturdy oak tree
   He was not of any delicate contexture; his limbs rather sturdy then dainty. 1657, Henry Wotton, Characters of some Kings of England
2. Solid in structure or person.
   It was a sturdy building, able to withstand strong winds and cold weather.
   The dog was sturdy and could work all day without getting tired.
   Diana’s most recent romantic adventure at that time was with the sturdy hunk Will Carling, captain of the England rugby team, whom she had met in 1995 working out at the Chelsea Harbor Club gym. adapted from the book The Palace Papers, published 2022 by Penguin Books April 5 2022, Tina Brown, “How Princess Diana’s Dance With the Media Impacted William and Harry”, in Vanity Fair
3. (obsolete) Foolishly obstinate or resolute; stubborn.
4. Resolute, in a good sense; or firm, unyielding quality.
   a man of sturdy piety or patriotism

noun

1. A disease caused by a coenurus infestation in the brain of an animal, especially a sheep or canid; coenurosis.