stale
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: enpr: stāl
ipa: /steɪl/
rhymes: -eɪl
Forms: form: staler
form: stalest
Etymology: From Middle English stale, from Old French estal (“fixed position, place”), but probably originally from Proto-Germanic *stāną (“to stand”): compare West Flemish stel in the same sense for ‘beer’ and ‘urine’.
Senses: examples: text: The stronger Beere is divided into two parts (viz.) mild and stale; the first may ease a man of a drought, but the later is like water cast into a Smiths forge, and breeds more heartburning, and as rust eates into Iron, so overstale Beere gnawes auletholes in the entrales, or else my skill failes, and what I have written of it is to be held as a jest.
ref: 1637, John Taylor, The Famovs Historie of the most part of Drinks, in use now in the Kingdomes of Great Brittaine and Ireland:
text: Particular care must be taken that the stale beer in which the isinglass is dissolved be perfectly clear and stale.
ref: 1826, A Practical Man, The Vintner's, Brewer's, Spirit Merchant's, and Licensed Victualler's Guide, page 243:
text: Is not that hard or stale beer mixed to give the porter the appearance of age at once, which formerly was allowed to be matured by time?
ref: 1829, David Booth, The Art of Brewing, page 52:
qualifier: alcoholic beverages
glosses: Clear, free of dregs and lees; old and strong.
examples: text: Stale as breed or drinke is, rassis. Stale as meate is that begynneth to savoure, viel.
ref: 1530, John Palsgrave, L'éclaircissement de la langue française, 325 2:
text: New freshe blood to ouersprinkle their stale mete that it may seme...newly kylled.
ref: c. 1550, Wyll of Deuill, C 2 b
text: To her surprise, Abe did not come to collect her for the usual morning inhabitation session with Azure. She did not see him until almost noon, when he personally delivered lunch to her tent. Another stale roll and cup of water sat on the tray he carried. Abe hung his head, as abashed as Honorato had been. “This is all I could sneak in for now. I'll try to get more later.”
ref: 2012, Stephen Woodworth, In Golden Blood: Number 3 in series:
glosses: No longer fresh, in reference to food, urine, straw, wounds, etc.
examples: text: Better is...be it new or stale, A harmelesse lie, than a harmefull true tale.
ref: 1562, Proverbs & Epigrams, J. Heywood, published 1867, section 95:
text: Doist thou smyle to reade this stale and beggarlye stuffe.
ref: 1579, in G. Harvey, letter book, 60
text: How wary, stale, flat, and vnprofitable Seeme to me all the vses of this world?
ref: c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], line 133:
text: A two-days-old newspaper. You resent the stale thing as an affront.
ref: 1822 March, Charles Lamb, London Magazine, 284 1:
text: Rick would comment on the fact that he'd never had such bad coffee, not even the mud at his precinct. Mark would tell him to quit with the stale joke, already
ref: 2002, Mark Lawson, And They Rose Up: Days of Retribution:
glosses: No longer fresh, new, or interesting, in reference to ideas and immaterial things; clichéd, hackneyed, dated.
examples: text: Rosimunda...hathe an vncle a stale batcheler.
ref: c. 1580, J. Jeffere, Bugbears, I ii 108:
text: In barren Women, and stale Maids, Tapping should be very cautiously undertaken.
ref: 1742, T. Short, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, 42 226:
glosses: No longer nubile or suitable for marriage, in reference to people; past one's prime.
examples: text: In most states, you can be ticketed for failing to clear the intersection, even if you are hemmed in by traffic. One good clue to a stale green light is the pedestrian signal.
ref: 2014, David L. Hough, Street Strategies for Motorcyclists:
glosses: Not new or recent; having been in place or in effect for some time.
examples: text: Lime would do very little or no good on stale ploughed lands.
ref: 1764, Museum Rusticum, II 306:
topics: agriculture
business
lifestyle
glosses: Fallow, in reference to land.
examples: text: a stale affidavit
text: a stale demand
text: The jury will rarely give credit to a stale complaint.
ref: 1769, William Blackstone, Common Laws of England, IV xv 211:
topics: law
glosses: Unreasonably long in coming, in reference to claims and actions.
examples: text: By this means the [horse's] legs are not made more stale than necessary.
ref: 1856, “Stonehenge”, in Manual of British Rural Sports, II i vi §7 335:
text: Dame Agnes will probably be stale after her exertions in the Derby.
ref: 1885 May 28, Truth, 853 2:
glosses: Worn out, particularly due to age or over-exertion, in reference to athletes and animals in competition.
examples: text: Stale cheque,...a cheque which has remained unpaid for some considerable time.
ref: 1901, Business Terms & Phrases, second edition, 199:
topics: business
finance
glosses: Out of date, unpaid for an unreasonable amount of time, particularly in reference to checks.
examples: text: The bug was found to be caused by stale data in the cache.
topics: computing
engineering
mathematics
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
sciences
glosses: Of data: out of date; not synchronized with the newest copy.
Synonyms: hackneyed
Derived terms: stale-dated
stale drunk
stale-grown
stale-mouthed
stale read
stale-smelling
stale-worn
Related terms: go stale
stale drunk