Word
stockholm
Phoneticsstock·holm
/ˈstɑkˌhoʊɫm/
Definitions
01the city
n. the capital and largest city of Sweden, located on the country's east coast.
n. the capital city and most populous urban area of Sweden, serving as the seat of the Swedish government and the residence of the Swedish monarch.
“We spent three days exploring the old town and museums in Stockholm.”
“Stockholm is built on fourteen islands where Lake Mälaren meets the Baltic Sea, earning it the nickname 'Venice of the North'.”
02the Swedish government
n. the government of Sweden.
n. a metonym for the Swedish government or its official diplomatic stance.
“Stockholm has not yet commented on the new trade agreement.”
“The decision was met with surprise by international observers, as Stockholm had previously maintained a policy of strict neutrality.”
Formal
03to bond with a captor
v. to start feeling sympathy or a connection with someone who is holding you prisoner.
v. to experience Stockholm syndrome; to develop a psychological bond or affinity with an oppressor or captor.
“After being stuck in the elevator for hours with the grumpy repairman, I think I started to Stockholm a little bit.”
“Critics argued that the protagonist had been Stockholmed by her kidnapper, making the romantic subplot feel deeply problematic to modern audiences.”
Informal · Slang
Usage
Usually used in the passive voice or as a gerund.
Teaching tip
This verb use is highly informal and derived from the psychological term 'Stockholm syndrome'; it should be avoided in academic or formal writing.
Etymology
From Swedish Stockholm, compound of stock (“log”) + holme (“islet”), possibly referring to logs put outside of the Stockholm shores to prevent ships from invading.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/stockholm