What does stale mean?
Definitions for stale
steɪlstale
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word stale.
Princeton's WordNet
staleadjective
lacking freshness, palatability, or showing deterioration from age
"stale bread"; "the beer was stale"
cold, stale, dusty, moth-eatenverb
lacking originality or spontaneity; no longer new
"moth-eaten theories about race"; "stale news"
staleverb
urinate, of cattle and horses
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
STALEadjective
Etymology: stelle, Dutch.
This, Richard, is a curious case:
Suppose your eyes sent equal rays
Upon two distant pots of ale,
Not knowing which was mild or stale;
In this sad state your doubtful choice
Would never have the casting voice. Matthew Prior.A stale virgin sets up a shop in a place where she is not known. Spectator.
The duke regarded not the muttering multitude, knowing that rumours grow stale and vanish with time. John Hayward.
About her neck a pacquet mail,
Fraught with advice, some fresh, some stale. Samuel Butler.Many things beget opinion; so doth novelty: wit itself, if stale, is less taking. Nehemiah Grew, Cosmol.
Pompey was a perfect favourite of the people; but his pretensions grew stale for want of a timely opportunity of introducing them upon the stage. Jonathan Swift.
They reason and conclude by precedent,
And own stale nonsense which they ne’er invent. Alexander Pope.Stalenoun
Etymology: from stælan , Saxon, to steal.
His heart being wholly delighted in deceiving us, we could never be warned; but rather one bird caught, served for a stale to bring in more. Philip Sidney.
Still as he went he crafty stales did lay,
With cunning trains him to entrap unwares;
And privy spials plac’d in all his way,
To weet what course he takes, and how he fares. Fa. Qu.The trumpery in my house bring hither,
For stale to catch these thieves. William Shakespeare, Tempest.Had he none else to make a stale but me?
I was the chief that rais’d him to the crown,
And I’ll be chief to bring him down again. William Shakespeare, H. VI.A pretence of kindness is the universal stale to all base projects: by this men are robbed of their fortunes, and women of their honour. Government of the Tongue.
It may be a vizor for the hypocrite, and a stale for the ambitious. Decay of Piety.
This easy fool must be my stale, set up
To catch the people’s eyes: he’s tame and merciful;
Him I can manage. John Dryden, Don Sebastian.I stand dishonour’d, that have gone about
To link my dear friend to a common stale. William Shakespeare.It hath a long stale or handle, with a button at the end for one’s hand. John Mortimer, Husbandry.
To Staleverb
To wear out; to make old.
Etymology: from the adjective
Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale
Her infinite variety. William Shakespeare, Ant. and Cleopatra.Were I a common laughter, or did use
To stale with ordinary oaths my love
To every new protestor. William Shakespeare, Julius Cæsar.A barren-spirited fellow, one that feeds
On abject orts and imitations;
Which, out of use, and stal’d by other men,
Begin his fashion. William Shakespeare, Julius Cæsar.To Staleverb
To make water.
Etymology: from the noun.
Having ty’d his beast t’ a pale,
And taken time for both to stale. Hudibras.
Wikipedia
stale
Staling, or "going stale", is a chemical and physical process in bread and similar foods that reduces their palatability - stale bread is dry and hard.
ChatGPT
stale
Stale refers to something, often food, that is no longer fresh or good to consume due to age or exposure to air. It can also refer to something that has become dull, tedious, or no longer new or interesting due to overuse or repetition.
Webster Dictionary
Stalenoun
the stock or handle of anything; as, the stale of a rake
Staleverb
vapid or tasteless from age; having lost its life, spirit, and flavor, from being long kept; as, stale beer
Staleverb
not new; not freshly made; as, stele bread
Staleverb
having lost the life or graces of youth; worn out; decayed
Staleverb
worn out by use or familiarity; having lost its novelty and power of pleasing; trite; common
Staleverb
to make vapid or tasteless; to destroy the life, beauty, or use of; to wear out
Staleadjective
to make water; to discharge urine; -- said especially of horses and cattle
Staleverb
that which is stale or worn out by long keeping, or by use
Staleverb
a prostitute
Staleverb
urine, esp. that of beasts
Staleverb
something set, or offered to view, as an allurement to draw others to any place or purpose; a decoy; a stool pigeon
Staleverb
a stalking-horse
Staleverb
a stalemate
Staleverb
a laughingstock; a dupe
Etymology: [See Stale, a. & v. i.]
Wikidata
Stale
Stale is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Grębów, within Tarnobrzeg County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in south-eastern Poland. It lies approximately 9 kilometres west of Grębów, 6 km east of Tarnobrzeg, and 62 km north of the regional capital Rzeszów.
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
Stale
stāl, adj. too long kept: tainted: vapid or tasteless from age, as beer: not new: worn out by age: decayed: no longer fresh, trite: in athletics, over-trained, hence unfit, as in 'gone stale.'—n. anything become stale: urine of cattle, &c.: (Shak.) a whore.—v.t. to render insipid, to make common.—v.i. to make water, as beasts.—adv. Stale′ly.—n. Stale′ness. [Prov. Eng. stale, conn. with Old Dut. stel, old. Skeat makes stale that which reminds one of the stable, tainted, &c.—Sw. stalla, to put into a stall, also to stale (as cattle)—Sw. stall, a stable.]
Stale
stāl, n. something offered or exhibited as an allurement to draw others to any place or purpose: (Spens.) a decoy, a gull: (Shak.) a dupe, laughing-stock.—n. Stall, a thief's assistant. [A.S. stalu, theft—stelan, to steal.]
Stale
stāl, n. the handle of anything, a stalk. [A.S. stæl, stel, a stalk.]
Matched Categories
Usage in printed sourcesFrom:
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Anagrams for stale »
least
slate
tales
stela
setal
steal
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of stale in Chaldean Numerology is: 7
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of stale in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3
Examples of stale in a Sentence
I wish there could have been an invention that bottled up a memory, like perfume, and it never faded, never got stale. Then whenever I wanted to, I could uncork that bottle and live the memory all over again.
Be available. If it’s a good pitch, you’re going to get a reply back, but news gets stale fast, so you have to be prepared to handle follow-ups promptly.
Winter lies too long in country towns; hangs on until it is stale and shabby, old and sullen.
We’re not totally surprised that when the New York state legislature decided to abolish the statute of limitations, it was going to lead to a number of stale allegations that are being revived, our position is that the statute is unconstitutional, because it revives claims that have been barred by the statute of limitation for a long time, and that it sets a very dangerous precedent, legally speaking, and not just in the context of old assaults.
My travel skincare routine is pared down so I’m not fussing with bulky bottles or oversized liquids while away, i focus on products that pack a punch and keep me glowing despite late nights and stale airplane air.
Popularity rank by frequency of use
References
Translations for stale
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- abgestanden, schal, veraltet, altbacken, abgedroschenGerman
- μπαγιάτικος, στάσιμοςGreek
- malfreŝaEsperanto
- duro, pasado, manido, revenido, viciado, anquilosadoSpanish
- väljähtänyt, kulunut, varsi, tympeä, ummehtunutFinnish
- vicié, défraîchi, croupi, vieilli, suranné, caduc, rance, périmé, rassisFrench
- stantioItalian
- לֹא טָרִיHebrew
- 古い, 陳腐Japanese
- ranzig, taai, muf, onfris, vervuild, ouderwetsDutch
- parado, rançosoPortuguese
- банальный, затхлый, несвежий, бородатый, избитый, чёрствыйRussian
- bajatAlbanian
- passéSwedish
- పాచిన, వడలిన, వాడినTelugu
- bayatTurkish
- 陳舊Chinese
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"stale." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 11 Feb. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/stale>.
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