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Webster 1913 Edition

Stale

Stale

(stāl)
,
Noun.
[OE.
stale
,
stele
, AS.
stael
,
stel
; akin to LG. & D.
steel
, G.
stiel
; cf. L.
stilus
stake, stalk, stem, Gr.
στελεόν
a handle, and E.
stall
,
stalk
, n.]
The stock or handle of anything;
as, the
stale
of a rake
.
[Written also
steal
,
stele
, etc.]
But seeing the arrow’s
stale
without, and that the head did go
No further than it might be seen.
Chapman.

Stale

,
Adj.
[Akin to
stale
urine, and to
stall
, n.; probably from Low German or Scandinavian. Cf.
Stale
,
Verb.
I.
]
1.
Vapid or tasteless from age; having lost its life, spirit, and flavor, from being long kept;
as,
stale
beer
.
2.
Not new; not freshly made;
as,
stale
bread
.
3.
Having lost the life or graces of youth; worn out; decayed.
“A stale virgin.”
Spectator.
4.
Worn out by use or familiarity; having lost its novelty and power of pleasing; trite; common.
Swift.
Wit itself, if
stale
is less pleasing.
Grew.
How weary,
stale
flat, and unprofitable
Seem to me all the uses of this world!
Shakespeare
Stale affidavit
(Law)
,
an affidavit held above a year.
Craig.
–
Stale demand
(Law)
,
a claim or demand which has not been pressed or demanded for a long time.

Stale

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Staled
(stāld)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Staling
.]
To make vapid or tasteless; to destroy the life, beauty, or use of; to wear out.
Age can not wither her, nor custom
stale

Her infinite variety.
Shakespeare

Stale

,
Verb.
I.
[Akin to D. & G.
stallen
, Dan.
stalle
, Sw.
stalla
, and E.
stall
a stable. √ 163. See
Stall
,
Noun.
, and cf.
Stale
,
Adj.
]
To make water; to discharge urine; – said especially of horses and cattle.
Hudibras.

Stale

,
Noun.
[See
Stale
,
Adj.
&
Verb.
I.
]
1.
That which is stale or worn out by long keeping, or by use.
[Obs.]
2.
A prostitute.
[Obs.]
Shak.
3.
Urine, esp. that of beasts.
“Stale of horses.”
Shak.

Stale

,
Noun.
[Cf. OF.
estal
place, position, abode, market, F.
étal
a butcher's stall, OHG.
stal
station, place, stable, G.
stall
(see
Stall
,
Noun.
); or from OE.
stale
theft, AS.
stalu
(see
Steal
,
Verb.
T.
).]
1.
Something set, or offered to view, as an allurement to draw others to any place or purpose; a decoy; a stool pigeon.
[Obs.]
Still, as he went, he crafty
stales
did lay.
Spenser.
2.
A stalking-horse.
[Obs.]
B. Jonson.
3.
(Chess)
A stalemate.
[Obs.]
Bacon.
4.
A laughingstock; a dupe.
[Obs.]
Shak.

Webster 1828 Edition

Stale

STALE

,
Adj.
[I do not find this word in the other Teutonic dialects. It is probably from the root of still, G., to set, and equivalent to stagnant.]
1.
Vapid or tasteless from age; having lost its life, spirit and flavor from being long kept; as stale beer.
2.
Having lost the life or graces of youth; worn out; decayed; as a stale virgin.
3.
Worn out by use; trite; common; having lost its novelty and power of pleasing; as a stale remark.

STALE

,
Noun.
[G. See Stall.]
1.
Something set or offered to view as an allurement to draw others to any place or purpose; a decoy; a stool-fowl.
Still as he went, he crafty stales did lay.
A pretense of kindness is the universal stale to all base projects. [In this sense obsolete.]
2.
A prostitute.
3.
Old vapid beer.
4.
A long handle; as the state of a rake.
5.
A word applied to the king in chess when stalled or set; that is, when so situated that he cannot be moved without going into check, by which the game is ended.

STALE

,
Verb.
T.
To make void or useless; to destroy the life, beauty or use of; to wear out.
Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety.

STALE

,
Verb.
I.
[G.] To make water; to discharge urine; as horses and cattle.

STALE

,
Noun.
Urine; used of horses and cattle.

Definition 2024

stále

stále

See also: stale and Ståle

Czech

Adverb

stále

  1. always, all the time
  2. still (up to the time, no less than before)

Slovak

Adverb

stále

  1. always, all the time
  2. still (up to the time, no less than before)

Pronunciation

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