stale

The definition of stale is something that is old or no longer fresh or new.

(adjective)

  1. Old bread that has gone hard is an example of something that would be described as stale.
  2. An idea that has become boring and overdone is an example of something that would be described as stale.

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See stale in Webster's New World College Dictionary

adjective staler, stalest

  1. having lost freshness; made musty, dry, bad, etc. by having been kept too long; specif.,
    1. flat; vapid; tasteless: stale beer
    2. hard and dry: said of bread, etc.
    3. low in oxygen content; stagnant: stale air
  2. having lost originality or newness; lacking in interest through familiarity or overuse; hackneyed; trite: a stale joke, stale gossip
  3. out of condition, ineffective, enervated, bored, etc. from either too much or too little activity
  4. Law having lost legal force or effect through lack of use or action, as a claim or lien

Origin: ME, prob. via Anglo-Norm < OFr estale, quiet, stagnant < Gmc *stall: for IE base see still

transitive verb, intransitive verb staled, staling

to make or become stale

Related Forms:

intransitive verb staled, staling

to urinate: said as of horses and cattle

Origin: ME, akin to MLowG stal, urine < IE base *(s)tel-, to let flow, urinate > Gr stalassein, to drip, telma, puddle

noun

urine, as of horses or cattle

See stale in American Heritage Dictionary 4

adjective stal·er, stal·est
  1. Having lost freshness, effervescence, or palatability: stale bread; stale air.
  2. Lacking originality or spontaneity: a stale joke.
  3. Impaired in efficacy, vigor, or spirit, as from inactivity or boredom.
  4. Law Having lost effectiveness or force through lack of exercise or action.
tr. & intr.v. staled staled, stal·ing, stales
To make or become stale.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English, settled, clear (used of beer or wine)

Origin: , probably from Old French estale, slack, settled, clear

Origin: , from estaler, to come to a standstill, halt

Origin: , from estal, standing place, stand

Origin: , of Germanic origin; see stel- in Indo-European roots

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Related Forms:

  • staleˈly adverb
  • staleˈness noun

intransitive verb staled staled, stal·ing, stales
To urinate. Used especially of horses and camels.
noun
The urine of certain animals, especially horses and camels.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English stalen

Origin: , possibly of Low German origin

Origin: ; akin to Middle Low German stallen

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