| 释义 |
stale
I. \ˈstāl, esp before pause or consonant -āəl\ noun
(-s)
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English stalu wood to which harpstrings are fixed; akin to Old English stela stalk, stem — more at steal
1. chiefly dialect : the stock of an implement (as a rake)
2. dialect Britain : a rung of a ladder
3. obsolete : the shaft of an arrow or spear
II. adjective
(-er/-est)
Etymology: Middle English; akin to Middle Dutch stel stale
1. obsolete, of malt liquor : well aged
2.
a. : altered in quality through the action of natural processes : having undergone physical changes while standing : not fresh; especially : impaired in flavor, odor, or texture by such changes
< kept the bread until it was too stale to eat >
< asked the nurse to empty the stale water and get her a fresh pitcher >
b. : having the unpleasant odor of something that has become stale
< a stale courtyard >
3. : having lost a former novelty and power of pleasing : trite, commonplace
< stale and worn phrases — H.D.Gideonse >
< news that was stale by the time it reached him >
4. archaic : past the age of vigor and attractiveness suitable for marriage
5.
a. : impaired in legal force or effect by reason of laches or being allowed to rest without use, action, or demand : barred from enforcement by a statute of limitation
< a stale affidavit >
< a stale debt >
b. of a check : held an unreasonable time after issue before being presented for payment at a bank
6. : showing a marked loss of vigor, enthusiasm, and effectiveness often due to monotony
< many of the old burlesque comics were going stale for want of fresh material — Henry Hewes >
7.
a. : deficient in vitality usually because of age
< a stale culture of bacteria >
b. of land : unsuitable as range for the same kind of poultry or livestock because of long use
III. verb
(-ed/-ing/-s)
Etymology: Middle English stalen, from stale, n.
transitive verb
1. : to make stale
< a smell of previous food staled the air — Rose Thurburn >
: destroy the freshness of
< age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety — Shakespeare >
2. archaic : to render common : cheapen
3. : to sweat (as sheepskins) at higher temperatures
4. of an organism : to make (as a culture medium) unsuitable by its metabolic activities for the growth of another kind of organism — used chiefly as a participle or gerund
< staling products of rhizoctonia >
intransitive verb
: to become stale: as
a. : to undergo progressive changes in quality of crust, crumb, texture, and flavor
< muffins that have staled >
b. : to become wearisome, monotonous, or uninteresting
< the quickly passing invention of newspaper writers, vaudeville and stage personages … will soon stale — J.P.Bishop >
IV. noun
(-s)
Etymology: Middle English; akin to Middle Low German stal urine of horses, stallen to urinate, Greek stalassein to let drop, drip and perhaps to Lithuanian įtelžti to pour in
: urine of a domestic animal (as a horse)
V. intransitive verb
(-ed/-ing/-s)
Etymology: Middle English stalen; akin to Middle Low German stallen to urinate
: urinate — used chiefly of camels and horses
VI. noun
(-s)
Etymology: Middle English, bird used as a decoy, from Anglo-French estale, probably modification (influenced by Old French estaler to set, place, from estal place, stand, stall, of Germanic origin) of Old English stæl- decoy; akin to Old English stæl place, stand, Old High German stellen to set, place, stand — more at stall
1. chiefly dialect : a person or thing that lures : lure, decoy
2. archaic : a person or thing used as a tool, pretext, or front for illicit or clandestine activity
3. obsolete : a butt for ridicule
4. obsolete : prostitute |