stall
stall Lexical Profile
stall Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A small booth, stand, or counter from which goods are sold in a market.
"We bought fresh strawberries from a stall at the weekend farmer's market."
A compartment for a single animal in a stable or barn.
"The rancher led the tired horse back to its stall for the night."
A condition in which an engine suddenly stops running, or an aircraft loses aerodynamic lift.
"The pilot safely recovered the airplane after it went into an unexpected aerodynamic stall."
• verb
To delay, evade, or pause in order to gain time or avoid a decision.
"The committee decided to stall the project until more funding could be secured."
To unexpectedly stop running or making progress (particularly of an engine, vehicle, or process).
"Her car stalled in the middle of the busy intersection, causing a minor traffic jam."
To cause an aircraft to lose aerodynamic lift by flying it at too steep an angle of attack.
"The flight instructor taught the student how to intentionally stall the aircraft and recover safely."
• Rhymes for stall
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'steall' (standing place, position, or stall for cattle), originating from Proto-Germanic '*stallaz'. The verb sense meaning 'to delay' emerged in the late 15th century, initially evolving from thieves' slang for a decoy who delays a victim.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.