stalemate Hear it!

stalemate definition

stale·mate (stāl′māt′)

noun

  1. Chess any situation in which it is impossible for one of the players to move without placing his or her king in check: it results in a draw
  2. any unresolved situation in which further action is impossible or useless; deadlock; draw

Etymology: obs. stale, stalemate < ME < OFr estal, fixed location, safe place < Gmc, as in OHG stal (see stall) + mate

transitive verb stalemated -·mat′ed, stalemating -·mat′·ing

to bring into a stalemate

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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