stall
- 01 A2 Elementary
n.a small table or open-fronted shop, often in a market or street.
n.a temporary or permanent stand, booth, or table used for the display and sale of goods in a marketplace.
Simple“We bought some fresh bread and local honey from a market stall.”
In context“The artisan cheese stall attracted a significant crowd, forcing the market organisers to widen the pedestrian aisle.”
- 02 B1 Intermediate
n.a marked space for a car in a car park, or a small room for an animal in a stable.
n.an individual compartment or designated area for a single vehicle or animal.
Simple“He carefully backed his car into the narrow parking stall.”
In context“The stable was designed with twelve individual stalls, each equipped with an automatic watering system for the horses.”
Synonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the seats on the ground floor of a theatre, close to the stage.
n.the ground-floor seating area in a theatre or auditorium, typically located between the stage and the orchestra pit.
Simple“We had a great view of the actors because our seats were in the stalls.”
In context“The acoustics in the front stalls are generally superior to those in the upper circles, though the ticket prices reflect this advantage.”
UsageUsually used in the plural: 'the stalls'.
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to try to stop something from happening or to wait longer on purpose.
v.to intentionally delay an action or decision to gain more time.
Simple“I tried to stall for time while my friend finished the surprise cake.”
In context“The legal team attempted to stall the proceedings by filing a series of minor procedural motions.”
Synonyms - 05 B1 Intermediate
v.when an engine or a car suddenly stops working.
v.to cause an internal combustion engine to stop abruptly, often due to improper clutch control or low speed.
Simple“The student driver stalled the car three times at the traffic lights.”
In context“If you release the clutch too quickly without enough throttle, the engine will likely stall.”
- 06 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to stop making progress or to come to a standstill.
v.to reach a point where no further progress is made; to come to a halt.
Simple“Negotiations between the two companies stalled over the price of the deal.”
In context“The peace talks stalled after both parties refused to compromise on the border dispute.”
- 07 C1 Advanced
n.when a plane loses the air power it needs to stay up and starts to fall.
n.a condition in aerodynamics where the angle of attack increases beyond a critical point, causing a sudden decrease in lift.
Simple“The pilot managed to recover from the stall and leveled the plane.”
In context“The aircraft entered a deep stall after the airspeed dropped below the safety threshold during the steep climb.”
“A fruit and vegetable stall at a street market in Tehran on Saturday.”
“The effort stalled until early 1924, when the Vare-backed Kendrick took office as Philadelphia’s mayor.”
From Middle English stall, stalle, from Old English steall (“standing place, position”), from Proto-Germanic stallaz, from Proto-Indo-European stel- (“to place, put, post, stand”). Cognate with French étal, Italian stallo, German Stall, Swedish stall.
From Middle English stallen (“to abide, dwell, place in a location, stop, come to a standstill”), partly from Old French estaler, ultimately from the same origin as Etymology 1 (see above); and partly from Middle English stalle (“fixed position, stall”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.