Stal'd, stāld, pa.p. (Spens.) stolen, taken. [Steal.]
Stalder, stal′dėr, n. (prov.) a pile of wood: a cask-stand.
Stale, stāl, adj. too long kept: tainted: vapid or tasteless from age, as beer: not new: worn out by age: decayed: no longer fresh, trite: in athletics, over-trained, hence unfit, as in 'gone stale.'—n. anything become stale: urine of cattle, &c.: (Shak.) a whore.—v.t. to render insipid, to make common.—v.i. to make water, as beasts.—adv. Stale′ly.—n. Stale′ness. [Prov. Eng. stale, conn. with Old Dut. stel, old. Skeat makes stale that which reminds one of the stable, tainted, &c.—Sw. stalla, to put into a stall, also to stale (as cattle)—Sw. stall, a stable.]
Stale, stāl, n. something offered or exhibited as an allurement to draw others to any place or purpose: (Spens.) a decoy, a gull: (Shak.) a dupe, laughing-stock.—n. Stall, a thief's assistant. [A.S. stalu, theft—stelan, to steal.]
Stale, stāl, n. the handle of anything, a stalk. [A.S. stæl, stel, a stalk.]
Stalemate, stāl′māt, n. in chess-playing, the position of the king when he cannot move without being placed in check.—v.t. to put into a condition of stalemate: to bring to a standstill.
Stalk, stawk, n. the stem of a plant: the stem on which a flower or fruit grows: the stem of a quill: the handle of anything, the stem: a tall chimney.—p.adj. Stalked, having a stalk.—adjs. Stalk′-eyed, podophthalmous, as a crustacean; Stalk′less, having no stalk; Stalk′y, hard as a stalk: resembling a stalk. [An extension of A.S. stæl, stel (cf. Ice. stilkr, Dan. stilk); cog. with Ger. stiel, which is allied to, perh. borrowed from, L. stilus, a stake.]
Stalk, stawk, v.i. to walk as on stilts: to walk with long, slow steps: to walk behind a stalking-horse: to pursue game by approaching behind covers.—v.t. to approach secretly in order to kill, as deer.—n. a stately step: the pursuit of game by stealthy approach.—ns. Stalk′er, one who stalks, as a deer-stalker: a kind of fishing-net: (pl.) the Gradatores; Stalk′ing, the act of approaching game warily or behind a cover; Stalk′ing-horse, a horse behind which a sportsman hides while stalking game: a mask or pretence. [A.S. stælcan, to walk cautiously, stealc, high; Dan. stalke, to walk with long steps.]
Stalkoes, staw′kōz, n.pl. walking gentlemen. [Ir. stalcaire, a bully.]
