Stale

Stale (stāl) , noun

[Old English stale, stele, Anglo-Saxon stael, stel; akin to LG. & Dutch steel, German stiel; compare Latin stilus stake, stalk, stem, Greek steleo`n a handle, and English stall, stalk, n.]

The stock or handle of anything; as, the stale of a rake.

But seeing the arrow's stale without, and that the head did go No further than it might be seen. — Chapman

Stale , adjective

[Akin to stale urine, and to stall, n.; probably from Low German or Scandinavian. Compare Stale, v. i.]

Vapid or tasteless from age; having lost its life, spirit, and flavor, from being long kept; as, stale beer.

Not new; not freshly made; as, stale bread.

Having lost the life or graces of youth; worn out; decayed.

A stale virgin. — Spectator

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

Collocations (2)

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 (stāld) , transitive verb

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 , intransitive verb

[Akin to Dutch & German stallen, Danish stalle, Swedish stalla, and English stall a stable. r 163. See Stall, n., and compare Stale, a.]

To make water; to discharge urine; -- said especially of horses and cattle. — Hudibras

Stale , noun

[See Stale, a. & v. i.]

That which is stale or worn out by long keeping, or by use. [Obsolete]

A prostitute. [Obsolete] — Shakespeare

Urine, esp. that of beasts.

Stale of horses. — Shakespeare

Stale , noun

[Compare Old French estal place, position, abode, market, French étal a butcher's stall, Old High German stal station, place, stable, German stall (see Stall, n.); or from Old English stale theft, Anglo-Saxon stalu (see Steal, transitive verb).]

Something set, or offered to view, as an allurement to draw others to any place or purpose; a decoy; a stool pigeon. [Obsolete]

Still, as he went, he crafty stales did lay. — Spenser

A stalking-horse. [Obsolete] — B. Jonson

(Chess) A stalemate. [Obsolete] — Bacon

A laughingstock; a dupe. [Obsolete] — Shakespeare