stale
IPA: stˈeɪɫ
noun
- (colloquial) Something stale; a loaf of bread or the like that is no longer fresh.
- A long, thin handle (of rakes, axes, etc.)
- (dialectal) One of the posts or uprights of a ladder.
- One of the rungs on a ladder.
- (botany, obsolete) The stem of a plant.
- The shaft of an arrow, spear, etc.
- (military, obsolete) A fixed position, particularly a soldier's in a battle-line.
- (chess, uncommon) A stalemate; a stalemated game.
- (military, obsolete) An ambush.
- (obsolete) A band of armed men or hunters.
- (Scotland, military, obsolete) The main force of an army.
- (livestock, obsolete) Urine, especially used of horses and cattle.
- (falconry, hunting, obsolete) A live bird to lure birds of prey or others of its kind into a trap.
- (obsolete) Any lure, particularly in reference to people used as live bait.
- (crime, obsolete) An accomplice of a thief or criminal acting as bait.
- (obsolete) a partner whose beloved abandons or torments him in favor of another.
- (obsolete) A patsy, a pawn, someone used under some false pretext to forward another's (usu. sinister) designs; a stalking horse.
- (crime, obsolete) A prostitute of the lowest sort; any wanton woman.
- (hunting, obsolete) Any decoy, either stuffed or manufactured.
verb
- (of alcohol, obsolete, transitive) To make stale; to age in order to clear and strengthen (a drink, especially beer).
- (transitive) 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.
- (intransitive) To become stale; to grow odious from excessive exposure or consumption.
- (alcoholic beverages, intransitive) To become stale; to grow unpleasant from age.
- (transitive, obsolete) To make a ladder by joining rungs ("stales") between the posts.
- (chess, uncommon, transitive) To stalemate.
- (chess, obsolete, intransitive) To be stalemated.
- (livestock, obsolete, intransitive) To urinate, especially used of horses and cattle.
- (rare, obsolete, transitive) To serve as a decoy, to lure.
adjective
- (alcoholic beverages, obsolete) Clear, free of dregs and lees; old and strong.
- No longer fresh, in reference to food, urine, straw, wounds, etc.
- No longer fresh, new, or interesting, in reference to ideas and immaterial things; clichéd, hackneyed, dated.
- (obsolete) No longer nubile or suitable for marriage, in reference to people; past one's prime.
- (in general) Not new or recent; having been in place or in effect for some time.
- (agriculture, obsolete) Fallow, in reference to land.
- (law) Unreasonably long in coming, in reference to claims and actions.
- Worn out, particularly due to age or over-exertion, in reference to athletes and animals in competition.
- (finance) Out of date, unpaid for an unreasonable amount of time, particularly in reference to checks.
- (computing) Of data: out of date; not synchronized with the newest copy.
- (chess, obsolete) At a standstill; stalemated.
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Examples of "stale" in Sentences
- All the pages went stale.
- The meat was pretty stale.
- The air in the hold was hot and stale.
- I found some stale corn flakes in the pantry.
- He found some stale corn flakes in the pantry.
- Did the writers think the show was going stale
- Blnguyen ran the CU but the previous accounts are stale.
- In the end, it never happened, the thread went stale in the archives.
- Another editor saw that the discussion was stale and removed the notice.
- It simply wafts up, once again, the old stale odors of conspiracy theory.
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