stale

noun

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

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

One of the rungs on a ladder.

The shaft of an arrow, spear, etc.

(chess, uncommon) A stalemate; a stalemated game.

(dialectal) One of the posts or uprights of a ladder.

(botany, obsolete) The stem of a plant.

(military, obsolete) A fixed position, particularly a soldier's in a battle-line.

(military, obsolete) An ambush.

(obsolete) A band of armed men or hunters.

(Scotland, military, obsolete) The main force of an army.

(livestock, obsolete) Urine, especially used of horses and cattle.

(falconry, hunting, obsolete) A live bird to lure birds of prey or others of its kind into a trap.

(obsolete) Any lure, particularly in reference to people used as live bait.

(crime, obsolete) An accomplice of a thief or criminal acting as bait.

(obsolete) a partner whose beloved abandons or torments him in favor of another.

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

(crime, obsolete) A prostitute of the lowest sort; any wanton woman.

(hunting, obsolete) Any decoy, either stuffed or manufactured.

verb

(transitive) 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.

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

(alcoholic beverages, intransitive) To become stale; to grow unpleasant from age.

(chess, uncommon, transitive) To stalemate.

(of alcohol, obsolete, transitive) To make stale; to age in order to clear and strengthen (a drink, especially beer).

(transitive, obsolete) To make a ladder by joining rungs ("stales") between the posts.

(chess, obsolete, intransitive) To be stalemated.

(livestock, obsolete, intransitive) To urinate, especially used of horses and cattle.

(rare, obsolete, transitive) To serve as a decoy, to lure.

adjective

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

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

(in general) Not new or recent; having been in place or in effect for some time.

(law) Unreasonably long in coming, in reference to claims and actions.

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

(finance) Out of date, unpaid for an unreasonable amount of time, particularly in reference to checks.

(computing) Of data: out of date; not synchronized with the newest copy.

(alcoholic beverages, obsolete) Clear, free of dregs and lees; old and strong.

(obsolete) No longer nubile or suitable for marriage, in reference to people; past one's prime.

(agriculture, obsolete) Fallow, in reference to land.

(chess, obsolete) At a standstill; stalemated.

Synonyms & related words for stale

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of stale — including musty, fusty, moldy, hackneyed, unoriginal, rancid. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to stale

Explore words related to stale — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include stalely, staleness, outdated, stagnant, fustiness, cold, stagnantly, stodgy. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for stale

Common synonyms for stale include musty, fusty, moldy, hackneyed, unoriginal, rancid, bromidic, threadbare — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.