stale

Meaning

1. No longer fresh, in reference to food, urine, straw, wounds, etc.
2. No longer fresh, new, or interesting, in reference to ideas and immaterial things; clichéd, hackneyed, dated.
3. Not new or recent; having been in place or in effect for some time.
4. Unreasonably long in coming, in reference to claims and actions.
5. Worn out, particularly due to age or over-exertion, in reference to athletes and animals in competition.
6. Out of date, unpaid for an unreasonable amount of time, particularly in reference to checks.
7. Of data: out of date; not synchronized with the newest copy.
8. No longer nubile or suitable for marriage; past one's prime.
9. Clear, free of dregs and lees; old and strong.
10. Fallow, in reference to land.
11. Something stale; a loaf of bread or the like that is no longer fresh.
12. To make stale; to cause to go out of fashion or currency; to diminish the novelty or interest of, particularly by excessive exposure or consumption.
13. To become stale; to grow odious from excessive exposure or consumption.
14. To become stale; to grow unpleasant from age.
15. To make stale; to age in order to clear and strengthen (a drink, especially beer).
16. A long, thin handle (of rakes, axes, etc.)
17. One of the posts or uprights of a ladder.
18. One of the rungs on a ladder.
19. The stem of a plant.
20. The shaft of an arrow, spear, etc.
21. To make a ladder by joining rungs ("stales") between the posts.
22. A fixed position, particularly a soldier's in a battle-line.
23. A stalemate; a stalemated game.
24. An ambush.
25. A band of armed men or hunters.
26. The main force of an army.
27. At a standstill; stalemated.
28. To stalemate.
29. To be stalemated.
30. Urine, especially used of horses and cattle.
31. To urinate, especially used of horses and cattle.
32. A live bird to lure birds of prey or others of its kind into a trap.
33. Any lure, particularly in reference to people used as live bait.
34. An accomplice of a thief or criminal acting as bait.
35. a partner whose beloved abandons or torments him in favor of another.
36. A patsy, a pawn, someone used under some false pretext to forward another's (usu. sinister) designs; a stalking horse.
37. A prostitute of the lowest sort; any wanton woman.
38. Any decoy, either stuffed or manufactured.
39. To serve as a decoy, to lure.

Etymology / origin

From Middle English stale, from Old French estal (“fixed position, place”), but probably originally from Proto-Germanic *stāną (“to stand”): compare West Flemish stel in the same sense for ‘beer’ and ‘urine’.

Related words

Sources

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