Stalling

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.

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[Middle English stalle, from Old English steall, standing place, stable; see stel- in Indo-European roots.]

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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.

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[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 stl, stathol, place, position; see staddle.]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

stalling - a tactic used to mislead or delay stall obstruction - the act of obstructing; "obstruction of justice" stonewalling - stalling or delaying especially by refusing to answer questions or cooperate