Etymology: < Latin stola, < Greek στολή , originally equipment, array, clothing, hence a robe, garment, < root of στέλλειν to place, array. Compare Old French estole (modern French étole ), Spanish estola , Portuguese estola , Italian stola . The use of Latin stola = sense 2 has not been found earlier than the 9th century; its origin is obscure.

Etymology: Commonly identified with stole n.¹, to which the unauthenticated sense of ‘royal robe’ is assigned. But there seems to be little doubt that the ‘stole chamber’, served by the Groom or Yeoman of the Stole, was originally the room containing the king's close-stool, and that the word is properly a variant of stool n. As, however, the word as thus used was for centuries entirely dissociated < stool, and latterly had a different spelling, it is necessary to treat it separately.In accounts of coronation ceremonies the king is said to have worn an ornament resembling a stole (stole n.¹ 2); but it does not appear that this was actually called a ‘stole’ until modern times. The view that the Groom of the Stole derived his designation from this ornament is quite improbable. Sir H. Nicolas's supposition, that the ‘stole’ was a kind of packing-chest, is a mistaken inference from the stole and male being mentioned together in certain documents.

Etymology: Irregularly < Latin stolo: see stolon n. (The anomalous form may have been due to confusion with stole variant stool n., tree-root.)

Etymology: Strong past participle of steal v.¹

Etymology: < stole n.¹

Etymology: < stole n.³