stale
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: enpr: stāl
ipa: /steɪl/
rhymes: -eɪl
Forms: form: stales
Etymology: From Middle English stale (“bird used as a decoy”), probably from uncommon Anglo-Norman estale (“pigeon used to lure hawks”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic, probably *standaną (“to stand”). Compare Old English stælhran (“decoy reindeer”) and Northumbrian stællo (“catching fish”).
Senses: examples: text: Like vnto the fowlers, that by their stales draw other birdes into their nets.
ref: 1579, Thomas North, “Sylla”, in Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans, section 515:
text: A wife thats more then faire is like a stale, Or chanting whistle which brings birds to thrall.
ref: 1608, Ludovico Ariosto, translated by R. Tofte, Satyres, IV 56:
topics: falconry
hobbies
hunting
lifestyle
glosses: A live bird to lure birds of prey or others of its kind into a trap.
examples: text: She ran in all the hast
Vnbrased and vnlast...
It was a stale to take
the deuyll in a brake.
ref: c. 1529, "The Tunnyng of Elynour Rummyng", 324, in John Skelton, Certayne Bokes
text: The Britaynes woulde oftentimes...lay their Cattell...in places conueniente, to bee as a stale to the Romaynes, and when the Romaynes shoulde make to them to fetche the same away,...they would fall vpon them.
ref: 1577, Raphael Holinshed, “The Historie of England, from the Time that It Was First Inhabited, Vntill the Time that It Was Last Conquered”, in Chronicles, 79 2:
text: Her daughter Margerit was the stale to lure...them that otherwise flewe hyghe...and could not be gotten.
ref: 1579, J. Stubbs, Discouerie Gaping Gulf:
text: ...many of the Coffamen keeping beaytifull boyes, who ſerue as ſtales to procure them cuſtomers.
ref: 1615, George Sandys, A Relation of a Iourney begun An: Dom: 1610, I 66:
text: Six-pence or a shilling to put into the Box, for a stale to decoy in the rest of the Parish.
ref: 1670, J. Eachard, Grounds Contempt of Clergy, section 88:
glosses: Any lure, particularly in reference to people used as live bait.
examples: text: Their mynisters, be false bretherne or false sustern, stales of the deuyll.
ref: 1526, W. Bonde, Pylgrimage of Perfection, section III:
text: This is Captain Whibble, the Towne stale, For all cheating imployments.
ref: 1633, S. Marmion, Fine Compan., III iv:
qualifier: crime
glosses: An accomplice of a thief or criminal acting as bait.
examples: text: I perceiue Lucilla (sayd he) that I was made thy stale, and Philautus thy laughinge stocke.
ref: 1578, J. Lyly, Euphues, section 33:
text: Was I then chose and wedded for his stale?
ref: 1588, T. Hughes, Misfortunes Arthur, I ii 3:
text: Did I for this loose all my friends...to be made A stale to a common whore?
ref: 1611, T. Middleton et al., Roaring Girle:
text: But, too vnruly Deere, he breakes the pale And feedes from home; poore I am but his stale.
ref: c. 1594 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Comedie of Errors”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], line 100:
text: This comes of rutting: Are we made stales to one another?
ref: c. 1619–1623, John Fletcher, Philip Massinger, “The Little French Lawyer”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act III, scene iv:
glosses: a partner whose beloved abandons or torments him in favor of another.
examples: text: That of the two nominated, one should be an unfit Man, and as it were a Stale, to bring the Office to the other.
ref: 1580, E. Grindal in 1710, J. Strype, Hist. E. Grindal, 252
text: Had he none else to make a stale but me?
ref: c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii], line 260:
text: Eurydice...meaning nothing lesse than to let her husband serue as a Stale, keeping the throne warme till another were growne old enough to sit in it.
ref: 1614, W. Raleigh, Hist. World, I iv iii §19 239:
text: A pretence of kindness is the universal stale to all base projects.
ref: 1711, J. Puckle, Club, section 20:
glosses: A patsy, a pawn, someone used under some false pretext to forward another's (usu. sinister) designs; a stalking horse.
examples: text: Spare not to tell him, that he hath wronged his honor in marrying the renowned Claudio...to a contaminated stale.
ref: 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], line 23:
text: But to be leaft for such a one as she, The stale of all, what will folke thinke of me?
ref: 1606, S. Daniel, Queenes Arcadia, II i:
text: ...detesting as he said the insatiable impudency of a prostitute Stale.
ref: c. 1641, Ralph Montagu, Acts & Monuments, section 265:
qualifier: crime
glosses: A prostitute of the lowest sort; any wanton woman.
examples: text: 'Tis the living bird that makes the best stale to draw others into the net.
ref: 1681, J. Flavell, Method of Grace, XXXV 588:
text: If my live birds aren't all drownded and my stales spoiled.
ref: 1888, G. M. Fenn, Dick o' the Fens, section 53:
topics: hobbies
hunting
lifestyle
glosses: Any decoy, either stuffed or manufactured.