stale

/steɪl/

adjective 11
noun 19
verb 9
forms 7

adjective11

•
No longer fresh, in reference to food, urine, straw, wounds, etc.
- Stale as breed or drinke is, rassis. Stale as meate is that begynneth to savoure, viel. — 1530
•
No longer fresh, new, or interesting, in reference to ideas and immaterial things; clichéd, hackneyed, dated.
- Better is...be it new or stale, A harmelesse lie, than a harmefull true tale. — 1562
•
Not new or recent; having been in place or in effect for some time.
- In most states, you can be ticketed for failing to clear the intersection, even if you are hemmed in by traffic. One good clue to a stale green light is the pedestrian signal. — 2014
•
Unreasonably long in coming, in reference to claims and actions.
- The jury will rarely give credit to a stale complaint. — 1769
•
Out of date, unpaid for an unreasonable amount of time, particularly in reference to checks.
- Stale cheque,...a cheque which has remained unpaid for some considerable time. — 1901
•
Of data: out of date; not synchronized with the newest copy.
- The bug was found to be caused by stale data in the cache.
•
Worn out, particularly due to age or over-exertion, in reference to athletes and animals in competition.
- By this means the [horse's] legs are not made more stale than necessary. — 1856
(no longer used) At a standstill; stalemated.
•
(no longer used) No longer nubile or suitable for marriage; past one's prime.
- Rosimunda...hathe an vncle a stale batcheler. — 1580
•
(no longer used) Clear, free of dregs and lees; old and strong.
- Particular care must be taken that the stale beer in which the isinglass is dissolved be perfectly clear and stale. — 1826
•
(no longer used) Fallow, in reference to land.
- Lime would do very little or no good on stale ploughed lands. — 1764

noun19

•
A stalemate; a stalemated game.
- They stand at a stay; Like a Stale at Chesse, where it is no Mate, but yet the Game cannot stirre. — 1625
•
(informal) Something stale; a loaf of bread or the like that is no longer fresh.
- I went to Riggs's batty-cake shop, and asked 'em for a penneth of the cheapest and nicest stales, that were all but blue-mouldy, but not quite. — 1874
•
A long, thin handle (of rakes, axes, etc.)
- In Case your Cask is a Butt,...have ready boiling...Water, which put in, and, with a long Stale and a little Birch fastened to its End, scrub the Bottom. — 1742
•
The shaft of an arrow, spear, etc.
- The Surgians cut of the stale of that shaft in suche wise, that they moued not the heade that was wythin the fleshe. — 1553
•
One of the rungs on a ladder.
- Ash was used for stales (ladder rungs). — 1998
•
(dialect) One of the posts or uprights of a ladder.
- Stales, the staves, or risings of a ladder, or the staves of a rack in a stable. — 1887
•
(no longer used) A live bird to lure birds of prey or others of its kind into a trap.
- Like vnto the fowlers, that by their stales draw other birdes into their nets. — 1579
•
(no longer used) Any lure, particularly in reference to people used as live bait.
- She ran in all the hast Vnbrased and vnlast... It was a stale to take the deuyll in a brake. — 1529
•
(no longer used) An accomplice of a thief or criminal acting as bait.
- Their mynisters, be false bretherne or false sustern, stales of the deuyll. — 1526
•
(no longer used) Any decoy, either stuffed or manufactured.
- 'Tis the living bird that makes the best stale to draw others into the net. — 1681
•
(no longer used) Urine, especially used of horses and cattle.
- […]That they be not compelled to eate their owne donge, and drinke their owne stale with you? — 1535
•
(no longer used) A prostitute of the lowest sort; any wanton woman.
- Spare not to tell him, that he hath wronged his honor in marrying the renowned Claudio...to a contaminated stale. — 1598
•
(no longer used) a partner whose beloved abandons or torments him in favor of another.
- I perceiue Lucilla (sayd he) that I was made thy stale, and Philautus thy laughinge stocke. — 1578
•
(no longer used) A patsy, a pawn, someone used under some false pretext to forward another's (usu. sinister) designs; a stalking horse.
- That of the two nominated, one should be an unfit Man, and as it were a Stale, to bring the Office to the other. — 1580
•
(no longer used) A fixed position, particularly a soldier's in a battle-line.
- You cannot take the queen without giving a stale, therefore you lose the game. — 1818
•
(no longer used) A band of armed men or hunters.
- The staill past throw the wod with sic noyis...yat all the bestis wer rasit fra thair dennys. — 1540
•
(Scotland, no longer used) The main force of an army.
- Neveryeles I knaw asweill by Englisemen as Scottishmen that their stale was no les then thre thowsand men. — 1532
•
(no longer used) An ambush.
- It is a stelling place and sovir harbry, Quhar ost in staill or embuschment may ly. — 1513
(no longer used) The stem of a plant.

verb9

•
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.
- Ile goe tell all the Argument of his Play aforehand, and so stale his Inuention to the Auditory before it come foorth. — 1601
•
To become stale; to grow odious from excessive exposure or consumption.
- They have got so much of Christ as to be staled of his company. — 1717
•
To become stale; to grow unpleasant from age.
- The Drink from that Time flattens and stales. — 1742
To stalemate.
•
(no longer used) To be stalemated.
- For vnder cuire I got sik check, that I micht neither muife nor neck, bot ather stale or mait. — 1597
(no longer used) To urinate, especially used of horses and cattle.
(no longer used) To make stale; to age in order to clear and strengthen (a drink, especially beer).
•
(no longer used, rare) To serve as a decoy, to lure.
- The eye...Doth serue to stale her here and there where she doth come and go. — 1557
(no longer used) To make a ladder by joining rungs ("stales") between the posts.

forms

staled · staling · stales · more stale · staler · most stale · stalest