stale

comparative staler · comparative more stale · superlative stalest · superlative most stale

1. No longer fresh, in reference to food, urine, straw, wounds, etc.

   Near-synonyms: gone bad, spoiled; see also Thesaurus:rotten

   3 more examples

   Stale as breed or drinke is, rassis. Stale as meate is that begynneth to savoure, viel.

   1530, John Palsgrave, L'éclaircissement de la langue française, 325 2

   New freshe blood to ouersprinkle their stale mete that it may seme...newly kylled.

   c. 1550, Wyll of Deuill, C 2 b

   To her surprise, Abe did not come to collect her for the usual morning inhabitation session with Azure. She did not see him until almost noon, when he personally delivered lunch to her tent. Another stale roll and cup of water sat on the tray he carried. Abe hung his head, as abashed as Honorato had been. “This is all I could sneak in for now. I'll try to get more later.”

   2012, Stephen Woodworth, In Golden Blood: Number 3 in series

   Synonyms: fusty, gone bad, spoiled, bad, gone bad, gone off, maggoted, rotten

2. No longer fresh, new, or interesting, in reference to ideas and immaterial things; clichéd, hackneyed, dated.

   Doist thou smyle to reade this stale and beggarlye stuffe.

   1579, in G. Harvey, letter book, 60

   4 more examples

   Better is...be it new or stale, A harmelesse lie, than a harmefull true tale.

   1562, Proverbs & Epigrams, J. Heywood, published 1867, section 95

   How wary, stale, flat, and vnprofitable Seeme to me all the vses of this world?

   c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], line 133

   A two-days-old newspaper. You resent the stale thing as an affront.

   1822 March, Charles Lamb, London Magazine, 284 1

   Rick would comment on the fact that he'd never had such bad coffee, not even the mud at his precinct. Mark would tell him to quit with the stale joke, already

   2002, Mark Lawson, And They Rose Up: Days of Retribution

   Synonyms: banal, played out, trite, banal, bathetic, bromidic, cheesy, stock

3. usuallyNot new or recent; having been in place or in effect for some time.

   In most states, you can be ticketed for failing to clear the intersection, even if you are hemmed in by traffic. One good clue to a stale green light is the pedestrian signal.

   2014, David L. Hough, Street Strategies for Motorcyclists

   Synonyms: antediluvian, eldern, venerable, ancient, aged, age-old, antediluvian, auld

4. lawUnreasonably long in coming, in reference to claims and actions.

   a stale demand

   2 more examples

   a stale affidavit

   The jury will rarely give credit to a stale complaint.

   1769, William Blackstone, Common Laws of England, IV xv 211

5. Worn out, particularly due to age or over-exertion, in reference to athletes and animals in competition.

   Dame Agnes will probably be stale after her exertions in the Derby.

   1885 May 28, Truth, 853 2

   1 more example

   By this means the [horse's] legs are not made more stale than necessary.

   1856, “Stonehenge”, in Manual of British Rural Sports, II i vi §7 335

   Synonyms: clapped out, decrepit, passé, clapped out, damaged, defective, deteriorated, dilapidated

6. businessOut of date, unpaid for an unreasonable amount of time, particularly in reference to checks.

   Stale cheque,...a cheque which has remained unpaid for some considerable time.

   1901, Business Terms & Phrases, second edition, 199

7. computingOf data: out of date; not synchronized with the newest copy.

   The bug was found to be caused by stale data in the cache.

8. obsoleteNo longer nubile or suitable for marriage; past one's prime.

   Near-synonyms: over the hill; see also Thesaurus:elderly

   2 more examples

   Rosimunda...hathe an vncle a stale batcheler.

   c. 1580, J. Jeffere, Bugbears, I ii 108

   In barren Women, and stale Maids, Tapping should be very cautiously undertaken.

   1742, T. Short, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, 42 226

   Synonyms: matronly, past it, over the hill, elder, elderly, geriatric, gerontologic, gerontological

9. obsoleteClear, free of dregs and lees; old and strong.

   Particular care must be taken that the stale beer in which the isinglass is dissolved be perfectly clear and stale.

   1826, A Practical Man, The Vintner's, Brewer's, Spirit Merchant's, and Licensed Victualler's Guide, page 243

   2 more examples

   The stronger Beere is divided into two parts (viz.) mild and stale; the first may ease a man of a drought, but the later is like water cast into a Smiths forge, and breeds more heartburning, and as rust eates into Iron, so overstale Beere gnawes auletholes in the entrales, or else my skill failes, and what I have written of it is to be held as a jest.

   1637, John Taylor, The Famovs Historie of the most part of Drinks, in use now in the Kingdomes of Great Brittaine and Ireland

   Is not that hard or stale beer mixed to give the porter the appearance of age at once, which formerly was allowed to be matured by time?

   1829, David Booth, The Art of Brewing, page 52

10. obsoleteagricultureFallow, in reference to land.

    Lime would do very little or no good on stale ploughed lands.

    1764, Museum Rusticum, II 306

plural stales

1. colloquialSomething stale; a loaf of bread or the like that is no longer fresh.

   Frayed-looking sweet-cakes...bought as ‘stales’ from the baker.

   1937, George Orwell, Road to Wigan Pier, I i 15

   1 more example

   I went to Riggs's batty-cake shop, and asked 'em for a penneth of the cheapest and nicest stales, that were all but blue-mouldy, but not quite.

   1874, Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd, II iii 39

present singular third person stales · participle present staling · participle past staled · past staled

1. transitiveTo make stale; to cause to go out of fashion or currency; to diminish the novelty or interest of, particularly by excessive exposure or consumption.

   Age cannot wither her, nor custome stale Her infinite variety.

   c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], line 241

   3 more examples

   Ile goe tell all the Argument of his Play aforehand, and so stale his Inuention to the Auditory before it come foorth.

   1601, Ben Jonson, Fountaine of Self-love, section 36

   Not content To stale himselfe in all societies, He makes my house as common as a Mart.

   1598, Beniamin Ionson [i.e., Ben Jonson], “Euery Man in His Humour. A Comœdie. […]”, in The Workes of Beniamin Ionson (First Folio), London: […] Will[iam] Stansby, published 1616, →OCLC, Act I, scene iv

   Pictures and statues have been staled by copy and description.

   1863, W. W. Story, Roba di Roma, I i 7

2. intransitiveTo become stale; to grow odious from excessive exposure or consumption.

   Philanthropy was beginning to stale.

   1893, “Q”, in Delectable Duchy, section 325

   2 more examples

   They have got so much of Christ as to be staled of his company.

   1717, E. Erskine, Serm. in Wks., 50 1

   Vi's penchant for puns had struck him as cute when he first met her, but it had staled somewhat over the years.

   1990, Stephen King, The Moving Finger

3. intransitiveTo become stale; to grow unpleasant from age.

   The Drink from that Time flattens and stales.

   1742, W. Ellis, London & Country Brewer, 4th edition, I 64

4. obsoletetransitiveTo make stale; to age in order to clear and strengthen (a drink, especially beer).

   Stalyn, or make stale drynke, defeco.

   c. 1440, Promp. Parv., 472 1

   1 more example

   A stock of old porter should be kept, sufficient for staling the consumption of twelve months.

   1826, Art of Brewing, second edition, 106

plural stales · alternative stele · alternative steal · alternative stele · alternative steel · alternative stail

1. A long, thin handle (of rakes, axes, etc.)

   You came to me with the axe head in one hand and the stale in the other.

   1890 February 4, Manchester Guardian, 12 3

   1 more example

   In Case your Cask is a Butt,...have ready boiling...Water, which put in, and, with a long Stale and a little Birch fastened to its End, scrub the Bottom.

   1742, W. Ellis, London & Country Brewer, 4th edition, I 61

2. dialectalOne of the posts or uprights of a ladder.

   Stales, the staves, or risings of a ladder, or the staves of a rack in a stable.

   1887, W. D. Parish et al., Kentish Dial.

   2 more examples

   Fruit ladders should be provided beforehand. They differ from the ordinary ladder by having the bottom rungs a little longer and the top of the side stales meeting together so is to rest in the fork of a limb.

   1891, T. E. Smith, The Nova Scotia Fruit Grower, page 72

   The zigzag determines the order of the currents from [1] which occur on the stales of the ladder and their relation with the currents from [0] which occur on the rungs and ringles between them.

   1971, Research Paper - Issues 141-155, page 7

3. One of the rungs on a ladder.

   Ash was used for stales (ladder rungs).

   1998, Barney Edward Daley, Tobacco Parish: A Collection of South Windsor's Memories

   4 more examples

   To begin then: not long before this paragraph was written, P fell into doze, and dreamt, he saw Jacob's ladder with one foot standing on the earth, the other reaching up into heaven. Dukes, Marquisses, and other Peers, fancy represented to him, as standing on the upper stales; on the middle ones, Knights and Baronets, and under them, a train of Esquires and Gentlemen, reaching to the bottom.

   1792, Thomas Paine, A Rod in Brine, or a tickler for T. Paine, page 16

   Mr. Marsden managed, by dint of swimming, to come in contact with the form, to which hemself and friend had previously fixed the cord and thrown overboard; but this, from its shape, would have proved, in all probability, but a doubtful means of escape, had he not, after a time, fallen in with a small ladder, which he affixed with the cord to the form, placing his leg between the stales, and resting his body, sometimes at full length, when the breakers had fallen on the form.

   1834, Joseph Adshead, A Circumstantial Narrative of the Wreck of the Rothsay, page 236

   The rental of the lands remained at these figures for many years, and the following extracts are examples of the payments made:— A.D. 1686, Utt, pᵈ Thomas Rassel for a load of lime delivered to Smalhith Chappell 01₤ 11s. 0d. Itt . for a quire of paper 00₤ 00s. 06d. Itt . for a ladder for the use of the Chappel 33 stales long , at 2ᵈ yᵉ stale 00₤ 05s. 6d.

   1914, Archaeologia Cantiana - Volume 30, page 173

   As a young man Mike Austen, a retired farmer now working as a guide at Brogdale, used to climb up a ladder with sixty 'stales', or rungs – eight inches between each of them – to pick the cherries in his father's orchard with a basket tied to either his waist or the ladder.

   2014, Matthew Engel, Engel's England: Thirty-nine counties, one capital and one man

4. obsoletebiologyThe stem of a plant.
5. The shaft of an arrow, spear, etc.

   But (ſeeing th'arrowes ſtale without,) and […]

   [1611?], Homer, “The Fourth Booke of Homers Iliads”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., The Iliads of Homer Prince of Poets. […], London: […] Nathaniell Butter, →OCLC, page 53

   1 more example

   The Surgians cut of the stale of that shaft in suche wise, that they moued not the heade that was wythin the fleshe.

   1553, Q. Curtius Rufus, translated by J. Brende, Hist., section IX

present singular third person stales · participle present staling · participle past staled · past staled

1. obsoletetransitiveTo make a ladder by joining rungs ("stales") between the posts.

   For stalyng of the ladders of the Churche xx d.

   1492, Archæol. Cant., XVI 304

plural stales

1. obsoletegovernmentA fixed position, particularly a soldier's in a battle-line.

   You cannot take the queen without giving a stale, therefore you lose the game.

   1818, William Stopford Kenny, Practical Chess Exercises, page 205

   2 more examples

   Wherefore they had a great avauntage, but in coclusion thie french menne were slayne, and their horses taken, and so the lyght horsement came wyth their catail, nere to the embushment, and the frenchimen folowed, that seyng the englyshmen that kept the stale, came in al hast & rescued their light horsemen, and draue the frenchemen backe, & then made returne to their beastes

   1550, Edward Halle, The Vnion of the Two Noble and Illustre Famelies of Lancastre and Yorke

   All these in great hast came to Newnam bridge, where they found other Englishmen that had woone the bridge of the Frenchmen, and so all togither set foward to assaile the Frenchmen that kept the stale, and tarie till the residue of their companie which were gone a forraging vnto Calis walles were come: for the other that had spoiled the marishes were returned with a great bootie.

   1808, Raphael Holinshed, Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland, page 580

2. uncommonboard gamesA stalemate; a stalemated game.

   They stand at a stay; Like a Stale at Chesse, where it is no Mate, but yet the Game cannot stirre.

   1625, Francis Bacon, Essays, section 65

3. obsoletegovernmentAn ambush.

   It is a stelling place and sovir harbry, Quhar ost in staill or embuschment may ly.

   1513, Virgil, translated by G. Douglas, Æneid, XI x 96

   1 more example

   The erle of Essex...with .ii. C. speares was layde in a stale, if the Frenchmen had come neerer.

   1577, R. Holinshed, Chron, II 1479 2

4. obsoleteA band of armed men or hunters.

   The staill past throw the wod with sic noyis...yat all the bestis wer rasit fra thair dennys.

   c. 1540, H. Boece, translated by J. Bellenden, Hyst. & Cron. Scotl., XII xvi 184

   1 more example

   The Lard of Drunlanrig lying al thys while in ambush...forbare to breake out to gyue anye charge vppon his enimies, doubting least the Earle of Lennox hadde kept a stale behynde.

   1577, R. Holinshed, Hist. Scotl., 471 2 in Chron., I

5. ScotlandobsoletegovernmentThe main force of an army.

   Neveryeles I knaw asweill by Englisemen as Scottishmen that their stale was no les then thre thowsand men.

   1532, State Papers Henry VIII, published 1836, IV 626

1. not comparableobsoleteboard gamesAt a standstill; stalemated.

   Then drawith he & is stale.

   c. 1470, Ashmolean MS 344, 21

present singular third person stales · participle present staling · participle past staled · past staled

1. transitiveuncommonboard gamesTo stalemate.

   He shall stale þe black kyng in the pointe þer the crosse standith.

   c. 1470, Ashmole MS 344, 7

   1 more example

   In China, however, a player who stales his opponent's King, wins the game.

   1903, H. J. R. Murray, Brit. Chess. Mag., section 283

2. intransitiveobsoleteboard gamesTo be stalemated.

   For vnder cuire I got sik check, that I micht neither muife nor neck, bot ather stale or mait.

   1597, A. Montgomerie, Cherrie & Slae, section 202

1. obsoleteuncountablelivestockUrine, especially used of horses and cattle.

   Thou did'st drinke The stale of Horses.

   c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv], line 62

   5 more examples

   […]That they be not compelled to eate their owne donge, and drinke their owne stale with you?

   1535, the Bible, translated by Miles Coverdale, Isaiah, XXXVI.100

   The stale of Camels and Goats[…]is good for them that have the dropsie.

   1548, Robert Record, Vrinal of Physick, XI.89

   Or annoint thy selfe with the stale of a mule.

   1583, B. Melbancke, Philotimus

   Those of Crotta being hardly besieged by Metellus, were reduced to so hard a pinch, and strait necessitie of all manner of other beverage, that they were forced to drinke the stale or urine of their horses.

   1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 48, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book I, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC

   Mice and Weasels by their poysonous Stale infect the Trees so, that they produce Worms.

   1698, J. Fryer, New Acct. E.-India & Persia, page 242

present singular third person stales · participle present staling · participle past staled · past staled

1. intransitiveobsoletelivestockTo urinate, especially used of horses and cattle.

   Tary a whyle, your hors wyll staale.

   1530, John Palsgrave, L'éclaircissement de la langue française, 732 1

   5 more examples

   Gif ony stal in the yet of the gilde...he sall gif iiijd. to the mendis.

   15th century, Lawis Gild, X in Ancient Laws and Customs of the Burghs of Scotland, 68

   Why a pox o' your boxe, once againe: let your little wife stale in it, and she will.

   1614 November 10 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), Beniamin Iohnson [i.e., Ben Jonson], Bartholmew Fayre: A Comedie, […], London: […] I[ohn] B[eale] for Robert Allot, […], published 1631, →OCLC, Act I, scene iv, page 8

   I wonder [the knight's son] doth not go on all four too, and hold up his Leg when he stales.

   1663, T. Killigrew, Parson's Wedding, I iii

   Cattle-dung where fuel failed; Water where the mules had staled; And sackcloth for their raiment.

   1903, Rudyard Kipling, Five Nations, section 150

   You stale like a mare And fart as you stale

   c. 1920, Aleister Crowley, Leigh Sublime

plural stales

1. obsoletefalconryA live bird to lure birds of prey or others of its kind into a trap.

   Like vnto the fowlers, that by their stales draw other birdes into their nets.

   1579, Thomas North, “Sylla”, in Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans, section 515

   1 more example

   A wife thats more then faire is like a stale, Or chanting whistle which brings birds to thrall.

   1608, Ludovico Ariosto, translated by R. Tofte, Satyres, IV 56

2. obsoleteAny lure, particularly in reference to people used as live bait.

   She ran in all the hast Vnbrased and vnlast... It was a stale to take the deuyll in a brake.

   c. 1529, "The Tunnyng of Elynour Rummyng", 324, in John Skelton, Certayne Bokes

   4 more examples

   The Britaynes woulde oftentimes...lay their Cattell...in places conueniente, to bee as a stale to the Romaynes, and when the Romaynes shoulde make to them to fetche the same away,...they would fall vpon them.

   1577, Raphael Holinshed, “The Historie of England, from the Time that It Was First Inhabited, Vntill the Time that It Was Last Conquered”, in Chronicles, 79 2

   Her daughter Margerit was the stale to lure...them that otherwise flewe hyghe...and could not be gotten.

   1579, J. Stubbs, Discouerie Gaping Gulf

   ...many of the Coffamen keeping beaytifull boyes, who ſerue as ſtales to procure them cuſtomers.

   1615, George Sandys, A Relation of a Iourney begun An: Dom: 1610, I 66

   Six-pence or a shilling to put into the Box, for a stale to decoy in the rest of the Parish.

   1670, J. Eachard, Grounds Contempt of Clergy, section 88

3. obsoletecrimeAn accomplice of a thief or criminal acting as bait.

   This is Captain Whibble, the Towne stale, For all cheating imployments.

   1633, S. Marmion, Fine Compan., III iv

   1 more example

   Their mynisters, be false bretherne or false sustern, stales of the deuyll.

   1526, W. Bonde, Pylgrimage of Perfection, section III

4. obsoletea partner whose beloved abandons or torments him in favor of another.

   Was I then chose and wedded for his stale?

   1588, T. Hughes, Misfortunes Arthur, I ii 3

   4 more examples

   I perceiue Lucilla (sayd he) that I was made thy stale, and Philautus thy laughinge stocke.

   1578, J. Lyly, Euphues, section 33

   Did I for this loose all my friends...to be made A stale to a common whore?

   1611, T. Middleton et al., Roaring Girle

   But, too vnruly Deere, he breakes the pale And feedes from home; poore I am but his stale.

   c. 1594 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Comedie of Errors”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], line 100

   This comes of rutting: Are we made stales to one another?

   c. 1619–1623, John Fletcher, Philip Massinger, “The Little French Lawyer”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act III, scene iv

5. obsoleteA patsy, a pawn, someone used under some false pretext to forward another's (usu. sinister) designs; a stalking horse.

   Had he none else to make a stale but me?

   c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii], line 260

   3 more examples

   That of the two nominated, one should be an unfit Man, and as it were a Stale, to bring the Office to the other.

   1580, E. Grindal in 1710, J. Strype, Hist. E. Grindal, 252

   Eurydice...meaning nothing lesse than to let her husband serue as a Stale, keeping the throne warme till another were growne old enough to sit in it.

   1614, W. Raleigh, Hist. World, I iv iii §19 239

   A pretence of kindness is the universal stale to all base projects.

   1711, J. Puckle, Club, section 20

6. obsoletecrimeA prostitute of the lowest sort; any wanton woman.

   ...detesting as he said the insatiable impudency of a prostitute Stale.

   c. 1641, Ralph Montagu, Acts & Monuments, section 265

   2 more examples

   Spare not to tell him, that he hath wronged his honor in marrying the renowned Claudio...to a contaminated stale.

   1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], line 23

   But to be leaft for such a one as she, The stale of all, what will folke thinke of me?

   1606, S. Daniel, Queenes Arcadia, II i

7. obsoletehobbiesAny decoy, either stuffed or manufactured.

   If my live birds aren't all drownded and my stales spoiled.

   1888, G. M. Fenn, Dick o' the Fens, section 53

   1 more example

   'Tis the living bird that makes the best stale to draw others into the net.

   1681, J. Flavell, Method of Grace, XXXV 588

present singular third person stales · participle present staling · participle past staled · past staled

1. obsoleteraretransitiveTo serve as a decoy, to lure.

   The eye...Doth serue to stale her here and there where she doth come and go.

   1557, Tottel's Misc., section 198