Link Centre Dictionary

stale

UK/steɪl/ US/ˈsteɪl/ fairly common
adjective (3) verb (1)

adjective

1.
2.

lacking originality or spontaneity; no longer new

  • “moth-eaten theories about race”
Synonyms
Similar
3.

no longer new; uninteresting

  • “cold (or stale) news”
Synonyms
Similar

verb

1.

urinate, of cattle and horses

Origin

From Middle English stale, from Old English stalu, from Proto-Germanic *stal-; compare English stell from this root. The development was paralleled by the ablaut which became English steal, from Middle English stele, from Old English stela, from Proto-Germanic *stel-. Both are from the same Proto-Indo-European root *stel-, *stol- (“to place, establish”), whence also Ancient Greek στελεός (steleós, “handle”). See also English stele.

Phrases

  • flying stale
  • go stale
  • hold one's stale
  • in stale
  • stale drunk
  • stale read
  • stool pigeon

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

See also

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.