staleadj詞源 1/steɪl/

• 1

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

  • Near-synonyms: gone bad, spoiled; see also Thesaurus:rotten
  • Stale as breed or drinke is, rassis. Stale as meate is that begynneth to savoure, viel.
• 2

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

  • Better is...be it new or stale, A harmelesse lie, than a harmefull true tale.
  • Doist thou smyle to reade this stale and beggarlye stuffe.
• 3

  Not 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.
• 4

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

  • a stale affidavit
  • a stale demand
• 5

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

  • By this means the [horse's] legs are not made more stale than necessary.
  • Dame Agnes will probably be stale after her exertions in the Derby.
• 6

  businessfinanceOut 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.
• 7

  computingengineeringmathematicsOf data: out of date; not synchronized with the newest copy.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
  • Rosimunda...hathe an vncle a stale batcheler.

stalenoun詞源 1/steɪl/

• 1

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

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

staleverb詞源 1/steɪl/

• 1

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

  • Ile goe tell all the Argument of his Play aforehand, and so stale his Inuention to the Auditory before it come foorth.
  • Not content To stale himselfe in all societies, He makes my house as common as a Mart.
• 2

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

  • They have got so much of Christ as to be staled of his company.
  • Philanthropy was beginning to stale.
• 3

  To become stale; to grow unpleasant from age.

  • The Drink from that Time flattens and stales.
• 4

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

  • Stalyn, or make stale drynke, defeco.
  • A stock of old porter should be kept, sufficient for staling the consumption of twelve months.

stalenoun詞源 2/steɪl/

• 1

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

  • 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.
  • You came to me with the axe head in one hand and the stale in the other.
• 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.
  • 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.
• 3

  One of the rungs on a ladder.

  • 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.
  • 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.
• 4

  obsoletebiologybotanynatural-sciencesThe stem of a plant.

• 5

  The shaft of an arrow, spear, etc.

  • The Surgians cut of the stale of that shaft in suche wise, that they moued not the heade that was wythin the fleshe.
  • But (ſeeing th'arrowes ſtale without,) and […]

staleverb詞源 2/steɪl/

• 1

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

  • For stalyng of the ladders of the Churche xx d.

stalenoun詞源 3/steɪl/

• 1

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

  • 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
  • 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.
• 2

  board-gameschessgamesA 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.
• 3

  obsoletegovernmentmilitarypoliticsAn ambush.

  • It is a stelling place and sovir harbry, Quhar ost in staill or embuschment may ly.
  • The erle of Essex...with .ii. C. speares was layde in a stale, if the Frenchmen had come neerer.
• 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.
  • 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.
• 5

  obsoletegovernmentmilitarypoliticsThe main force of an army.

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

staleadj詞源 3/steɪl/

• 1

  obsoleteboard-gameschessgamesAt a standstill; stalemated.

  • Then drawith he & is stale.

staleverb詞源 3/steɪl/

• 1

  board-gameschessgamesTo stalemate.

  • He shall stale þe black kyng in the pointe þer the crosse standith.
  • In China, however, a player who stales his opponent's King, wins the game.
• 2

  obsoleteboard-gameschessgamesTo be stalemated.

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

stalenoun詞源 4/steɪl/

• 1

  obsoleteUrine, especially used of horses and cattle.

  • […]That they be not compelled to eate their owne donge, and drinke their owne stale with you?
  • The stale of Camels and Goats[…]is good for them that have the dropsie.

staleverb詞源 4/steɪl/

• 1

  obsoleteTo urinate, especially used of horses and cattle.

  • Gif ony stal in the yet of the gilde...he sall gif iiijd. to the mendis.
  • Tary a whyle, your hors wyll staale.

stalenoun詞源 5/steɪl/

• 1

  obsoletefalconryhobbieshuntingA 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.
  • A wife thats more then faire is like a stale, Or chanting whistle which brings birds to thrall.
• 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.
  • 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.
• 3

  obsoleteAn accomplice of a thief or criminal acting as bait.

  • Their mynisters, be false bretherne or false sustern, stales of the deuyll.
  • This is Captain Whibble, the Towne stale, For all cheating imployments.
• 4

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

  • I perceiue Lucilla (sayd he) that I was made thy stale, and Philautus thy laughinge stocke.
  • Was I then chose and wedded for his stale?
• 5

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

  • That of the two nominated, one should be an unfit Man, and as it were a Stale, to bring the Office to the other.
  • Had he none else to make a stale but me?
• 6

  obsoleteA prostitute of the lowest sort; any wanton woman.

  • Spare not to tell him, that he hath wronged his honor in marrying the renowned Claudio...to a contaminated stale.
  • But to be leaft for such a one as she, The stale of all, what will folke thinke of me?
• 7

  obsoletehobbieshuntinglifestyleAny decoy, either stuffed or manufactured.

  • 'Tis the living bird that makes the best stale to draw others into the net.
  • If my live birds aren't all drownded and my stales spoiled.

staleverb詞源 5/steɪl/

• 1

  obsoleterareTo serve as a decoy, to lure.

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