ENGLISH
REFERENCE

stall

n. · v.
US //ˈstɔɫ// UK //stˈɔːl// stall
  1. 1 market stand (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    a small table or open-fronted shop, often in a market or street.

    a temporary or permanent stand, booth, or table used for the display and sale of goods in a marketplace.

    Example

    We bought some fresh bread and local honey from a market stall.

    Example

    The artisan cheese stall attracted a significant crowd, forcing the market organisers to widen the pedestrian aisle.
  2. 2 parking or animal space (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a marked space for a car in a car park, or a small room for an animal in a stable.

    an individual compartment or designated area for a single vehicle or animal.

    Example

    He carefully backed his car into the narrow parking stall.

    Example

    The stable was designed with twelve individual stalls, each equipped with an automatic watering system for the horses.
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  1. 3 theatre seating (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate British English Theatre

    the seats on the ground floor of a theatre, close to the stage.

    the ground-floor seating area in a theatre or auditorium, typically located between the stage and the orchestra pit.

    Example

    We had a great view of the actors because our seats were in the stalls.

    Example

    The acoustics in the front stalls are generally superior to those in the upper circles, though the ticket prices reflect this advantage.

    Usage

    Usually used in the plural: 'the stalls'.
    • orchestra seats
  2. 4 to delay or wait (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to try to stop something from happening or to wait longer on purpose.

    to intentionally delay an action or decision to gain more time.

    Example

    I tried to stall for time while my friend finished the surprise cake.

    Example

    The legal team attempted to stall the proceedings by filing a series of minor procedural motions.
  3. 5 engine failure (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    when an engine or a car suddenly stops working.

    to cause an internal combustion engine to stop abruptly, often due to improper clutch control or low speed.

    Example

    The student driver stalled the car three times at the traffic lights.

    Example

    If you release the clutch too quickly without enough throttle, the engine will likely stall.
  4. 6 to stop progress (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to stop making progress or to come to a standstill.

    to reach a point where no further progress is made; to come to a halt.

    Example

    Negotiations between the two companies stalled over the price of the deal.

    Example

    The peace talks stalled after both parties refused to compromise on the border dispute.
  5. 7 loss of lift (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Science

    when a plane loses the air power it needs to stay up and starts to fall.

    a condition in aerodynamics where the angle of attack increases beyond a critical point, causing a sudden decrease in lift.

    Example

    The pilot managed to recover from the stall and leveled the plane.

    Example

    The aircraft entered a deep stall after the airspeed dropped below the safety threshold during the steep climb.

Etymology 1

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.

Etymology 2

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”).

Idioms2 entries

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