stall

1 of 5

noun (1)

1
a
: a compartment for a domestic animal in a stable or barn
b
: a space marked off for parking a motor vehicle
2
a
: a seat in the chancel of a church with back and sides wholly or partly enclosed
b
: a church pew
c
chiefly British : a front orchestra seat in a theater
usually used in plural
3
: a booth, stand, or counter at which articles are displayed for sale
4
: a protective sheath for a finger or toe
5
: a small compartment
a shower stall
especially : one with a toilet or urinal

stall

2 of 5

verb (1)

stalled; stalling; stalls

transitive verb

1
: to put into or keep in a stall
2
obsolete : install sense 2
3
a
: to bring to a standstill : block
especially : mire
b
: to cause (an engine) to stop usually inadvertently
c
: to cause (an aircraft or airfoil) to go into a stall

intransitive verb

1
: to come to a standstill (as from mired wheels or engine failure)
2
: to experience a stall in flying

stall

3 of 5

noun (2)

: the condition of an airfoil or aircraft in which excessive angle of attack causes disruption of airflow with attendant loss of lift

stall

4 of 5

noun (3)

: a ruse to deceive or delay

stall

5 of 5

verb (2)

stalled; stalling; stalls

intransitive verb

: to play for time : delay

transitive verb

: to hold off, divert, or delay by evasion or deception

Examples of stall in a Sentence

Verb (1) endless complaints stalled the process of selecting the winning design for the memorial the engine stalls sometimes when it's very cold outside
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Inflation has fallen from a 40-year peak of 9.1% in 2022, but the last stretch to meet the Fed's 2% goal has stalled. Medora Lee, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025 While former President Joe Biden sought to revive the deal, negotiations stalled, and Trump's second-term policies have further tightened sanctions. Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
Noun
Each charging stall can deliver up to 400 kW, significantly reducing charging times for compatible vehicles. Melanie Marshall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Mar. 2025 During the show, Kai emerged from a red stall door and strutted down the red runway. Kayla Grant, People.com, 25 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stall

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English steall; akin to Old High German stal place, stall and perhaps to Latin locus (Old Latin stlocus) place

Noun (3) and Verb (2)

alteration of stale lure

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1916, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1846, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1903, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of stall was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stall. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

stall

1 of 5 noun
1
: a compartment for a domestic animal in a stable or barn
2
a
: a seat in the choir of a church with back and sides wholly or partly enclosed
b
chiefly British : a front orchestra seat in a theater
usually used in plural
3
: a booth, stand, or counter at which articles are displayed for sale
4
: a small compartment
a shower stall
especially : one with a toilet or urinal

stall

2 of 5 verb
1
: to put into or keep in a stall
2
: to stop or cause to stop usually by accident
stall an engine
3
: to experience or cause (an aircraft) to experience a stall in flying

stall

3 of 5 noun
: the condition of an aircraft or a wing of an aircraft in which lift is lost and the aircraft or wing tends to drop

stall

4 of 5 noun
: a trick to deceive or delay

stall

5 of 5 verb
: to distract attention or make excuses to gain time
try to stall them until I get the place cleaned up
Etymology

Noun

Old English steall "stall for an animal"

Noun

an altered form of earlier stale "lure"

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