stall

SaySTAWLUS/stɔl/UK/stɔːl/

31 meanings of stall

1
nouncountable
A small open shop in a market or food court that sells goods.
Like a tiny shop with no front wall, just a counter facing the street.
She bought fresh strawberries from a stall at the market.
A stall in the food court was selling hot noodles.
Similarkiosk, booth, stand
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2
nouncountable
A small space in a barn where one animal is kept.
Like a small bedroom built for just one animal.
The horse kicked at the door of its stall.
Each cow has its own stall in the barn.
Similarbox, pen
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3
nouncountable
A very small room with a shower or toilet inside.
Like a little box just big enough for one person to stand in.
She waited for an empty shower stall at the gym.
He locked the door of the bathroom stall.
Similarcubicle, compartment
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4
verbintransitive
To stop moving or making progress.
Like a clock that slowly winds down and stops ticking.
Progress can stall when no one takes charge.
The campaign stalled in its final week.
Similarfalter, stop, halt, stagnate, founder
Oppositeprogress, advance
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5
verbintransitive
To act slowly on purpose so you get more time.
Like walking very slowly so you arrive late on purpose.
Witnesses sometimes stall when they fear the consequences.
She stalled, hoping someone would interrupt the meeting.
Similartemporize, stonewall, prevaricate, filibuster
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6
verbtransitive
To make a car's engine stop by driving too slowly in a gear that is too high.
Like a bike that wobbles to a stop when you pedal too slowly uphill.
He stalled the car at the traffic light.
New drivers often stall the engine on a steep hill.
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7
nouncountable
Something you do to slow things down or hold them up.
Like making excuses so you don't have to start a chore.
His sudden question was just a stall to buy more time.
The committee saw the new proposal as a stall.
Similardelay, ploy
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8
verbtransitive
To stop something from moving forward or making progress.
Like putting a rock in front of a wheel so it can't roll.
Bad weather stalled the building work for weeks.
Budget cuts stall research across the whole department.
Similardelay, hinder, impede, obstruct, block
Oppositeexpedite, advance, accelerate
9
verbtransitive
To keep someone waiting on purpose so you gain more time.
Like keeping a friend talking so they miss their bus.
She stalled the reporters with vague answers.
Quit trying to stall me with excuses.
Similardelay, stonewall, detain
10
nouncountable
A table or bench where small goods are laid out to be sold.
Like a table at a yard sale piled with things to buy.
The vendor arranged his watches across the stall.
Handmade jewelry covered every stall in the hall.
Similarstand, table, booth, counter

11
nouncountable
A loss of lift that happens when a wing tilts too steeply, often because the plane is flying too slowly.
Like a kite that suddenly drops when you tilt it at the wrong angle.
The pilot recovered from the stall by pointing the nose down.
A stall close to the ground can be very dangerous.
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12
nouncountable
A theater seat near the stage, often one with arms.
Like the best seat in a movie theater, right up close.
We sat in a stall just a few rows from the stage.
From his stall he could see every expression on the actors' faces.
13
nounCanadacountable
A marked space where one car can park in a lot or garage.
Like a boxed-in spot just big enough for one car.
She pulled into an empty stall near the entrance.
Every stall on the third floor was taken.
Similarspace, spot, bay
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14
verbintransitive
To lose lift when a wing's angle becomes too steep or the plane flies too slowly.
Like a kite that drops when it tips at the wrong angle.
The plane stalled when it climbed too steeply.
If you fly too slowly, the aircraft will stall.
15
verbintransitive
To stop all at once.
Like a toy that suddenly stops moving with no warning.
The music stalled abruptly in the middle of the song.
Old conveyor belts sometimes stall and jolt the workers.
Similarstop, halt, seize, jam, die
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16
verbtransitive
To make a plane lose its lift by tilting the wings too steeply into the air.
Like a kite that suddenly drops when you tip it the wrong way against the wind.
If you pull the nose up too hard, you can stall the plane.
The instructor stalled the trainer jet on purpose to teach recovery.
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17
verbtransitive
To put a horse or other animal into a small closed space in a barn.
Like putting a pet in its own little room for the night.
The farmer stalled the horses before the storm hit.
We need to stall the cows for the night.
Similarstable, house, pen, shelter
18
nouncountable
A special seat in a church, near the front, kept for priests or important people.
Like a reserved chair at the front, saved for the most important guests.
The bishop took his place in the stall near the altar.
Carved wooden stalls lined both sides of the old cathedral choir.
19
nouncountable
A barn or shed where cattle and other animals are kept.
Like a small house where farm animals are kept.
The pony stamped its feet inside the wooden stall.
They cleaned out the stalls every morning before milking.
Similarpen, shed
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20
nouncountable
A small cover that fits over a finger to protect it.
Like a tiny glove that covers just one finger.
She slipped a rubber stall over her bandaged finger.
The seamstress kept a small stall on her thumb to push needles through.
21
nouncountable
A church position that gives its holder the right to use a church seat.
Like a job title that comes with its own reserved chair.
He held a stall at the cathedral, an office that brought both duties and income.
Several canons competed for the vacant stall after the old prebendary died.
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22
verbtransitive
To formally place someone in an official position.
Like a ceremony where someone is officially given their new job.
The church stalled the new dean with great ceremony.
They will stall him as canon next month.
Similarinstall, induct, instate
Oppositeremove, depose
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23
verbtransitive
To get an animal or vehicle stuck in mud or snow so it cannot move on.
The pony got stalled in the wet field, and we had to pull it out with a rope.
Try not to stall the cart in the deep mud by the gate.
Similarmire
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24
nouncountable
In mining, the open space left between the rock pillars that hold up the roof.
Like the empty room left between the posts that hold up a roof.
Miners hauled the coal out through the narrow stall.
Each stall was carefully measured to keep the roof from caving in.
Similarroom
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25
verbtransitive
To feed an animal well in a barn so that it grows fat.
Like feeding up an animal so it gains weight before market.
The farmer stalled the ox on rich grain until it was fat for market.
They stall the pigs on corn to make them heavy.
Similarfatten, feed
26
verbtransitive
To act first so as to stop something from happening.
Like fixing a small leak before it floods the whole house.
Her early warning stalled the panic before it spread.
Good planning can stall many problems.
Similarforestall, prevent, avert, preempt
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27
verbtransitive
To keep something secret and hidden, not telling it to other people.
Similarconceal, withhold
Oppositereveal, disclose
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28
nouncountable
In modern Heathen worship, an indoor altar used for religious offerings.
Like a small table at home set aside for worship.
She lit a candle at the stall in the corner of her living room.
The family kept a small stall for their household gods.
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29
verbobsolete
To live in a place or make your home there.
I must perforce Haue ſhewne to thee ſuch a declining day, Or looke on thine: we could not ſtall together In the whole world.
c. 1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”Here, stall means to live or stay together in the same place.
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30
verbobsolete
To get stuck and be unable to move on, as in mud or snow.
Like getting your boots stuck in thick mud.
The cart stalled deep in the spring mud.
Wagons would stall whenever the snow grew too deep.
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31
verbobsolete
Of cows, to lose interest in food.

Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1–3, 10, 12–13, 17–22, 24–29

From Old English steall, meaning a standing place or position. It goes back to an ancient root meaning to place or stand.

Meanings 4–9, 11, 14–16, 23, 30

From Middle English stallen, meaning to stay, dwell, or come to a stop. It comes partly from Old French and shares the same origin as the first etymology.