stager

noun

stag·​er ˈstā-jər 

1

: an experienced person : veteran

… we are too old a stager to be affected by his squibs.

—Fayetteville (North Carolina) Observer

I mean no disrespect to your generation, Sir Patrick: some of you old stagers did marvels through sheer professional intuition and clinical experience …

—George Bernard Shaw

2

: one who puts on a performance or event

… the Delaware Theatre Company is a first-class stager of plays old and new, and this production demonstrates why.

—Clifford A. Ridley

3

: a person who arranges or decorates a house, condominium, etc. in order to enhance its appeal to prospective buyers or renters

… the stager and her team brought in two truckloads of attractive furniture and accessories—including sofas, lamps, chairs and artwork—and arranged all the items to make the house seem spacious yet comfortable.

—Ellen Martin

Synonyms

• doyen
• old hand
• old-timer
• vet
• veteran
• warhorse

Examples of stager in a Sentence

an old stager who resented the young upstarts in the brokerage firm

Recent Examples on the Web

That’s all changing as stagers like Saft create distinct environments accessorized with historic and idiosyncratic pieces. —Rachel Davies, Architectural Digest, 23 Dec. 2024

Ditto for hiring professional stagers to make their place stand out. —Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 22 July 2024

After photos are removed, stagers can go in and add artwork or other decor to fill in those gaps. —Blake Bakkila, Sunset Magazine, 26 Mar. 2024

Most stagers require payment up front; Curbio is paid at closing. —Wendy A. Jordan, Washington Post, 23 Sep. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1