| stall 1 (stôl) n. 1. A compartment for one domestic animal in a barn or shed. 2. a. A booth, cubicle, or stand used by a vendor, as at a market. b. A small compartment: a shower stall. 3. a. An enclosed seat in the chancel of a church. b. A pew in a church. 4. Chiefly British A seat in the front part of a theater. 5. A space marked off, as in a garage, for parking a motor vehicle. 6. A protective sheath for a finger or toe. 7. The sudden, unintended loss of power or effectiveness in an engine. 8. A condition in which an aircraft or airfoil experiences an interruption of airflow resulting in loss of lift and a tendency to drop. v. stalled, stall·ing, stalls v.tr. 1. To put or lodge in a stall. 2. To maintain in a stall for fattening: to stall cattle. 3. To halt the motion or progress of; bring to a standstill. 4. To cause (a motor or motor vehicle) accidentally to stop running. 5. To cause (an aircraft) to go into a stall. v.intr. 1. To live or be lodged in a stall. Used of an animal. 2. To stick fast in mud or snow. 3. To come to a standstill: Negotiations stalled. 4. To stop running as a result of mechanical failure: The car stalled on the freeway. 5. To lose forward flying speed, causing a stall. Used of an aircraft. [Middle English stalle, from Old English steall, standing place, stable; see stel- in Indo-European roots.] |
| stall 2 (stôl) n. A ruse or tactic used to mislead or delay. v. stalled, stall·ing, stalls v.tr. To employ delaying tactics against: stall off creditors. v.intr. To employ delaying tactics: stalling for time. [Alteration (influenced by stall) of obsolete stale, pickpocket's accomplice, from Middle English, decoy, from Anglo-Norman estale, of Germanic origin; possibly akin to Old English st  l, stathol, place, position; see staddle.] |
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