stable

Etymology 1

From Middle English stable, borrowed from Anglo-Norman stable, singular derived from the plural Latin stab(u)la (“dwellings, stables”).

noun

1. A building, wing or dependency set apart and adapted for lodging and feeding (and training) ungulates, especially horses.
   There were stalls for fourteen horses in the squire's stables.
2. (metonymically) All the racehorses of a particular stable, i.e. belonging to a given owner.
3. (Scotland) A set of advocates; a barristers' chambers.
4. (sumo) An organization of sumo wrestlers who live and train together.
5. (professional wrestling) A group of wrestlers who support each other within a wrestling storyline.
   Paul, who signed with WWE in late June, appeared in a segment with Reigns' stable, the Bloodline, on Friday's episode of SmackDown after making comments earlier in the week regarding a potential match with the Tribal Chief. 2022-09-17, Thomas Kika, “WWE's Logan Paul Confronts Roman Reigns Amid Rumors of Major Title Bout”, in Newsweek
6. A group of prostitutes managed by one pimp.
   My pimp vision enabled me to see that no hoe in my stable would be more worthy of the game than my young turnout red-bones. 2013, Noble Dee, Pimp: Reflection of My Life, page 167
7. A group of people who are looked after, mentored, or trained in one place or for a particular purpose or profession.

verb

1. (transitive) To put or keep (an animal) in a stable.
   It is not difficult for the wealthy brewer or pluralist publican, while he takes his ease in his comfortable dwelling on the Lord’s Day, or rolls in his chariot to the house of prayer, to denounce the agitation in favour of Sunday-closing, while his weary barmen and barmaidens “work from early morn to midnight” to carpet his ample halls and stable his well-fed horses. 25 September 1883, R. H. Lundie, “Licensed Victuallers and Sunday-Closing”, in Liverpool Daily Post, number 8807, published 26 September 1883, page 5, column 7
   "I hope your have been quite comfortable." ¶ "Never better stabled in my life," said Bree. 1954, C. S. Lewis, chapter 7, in The Horse and His Boy, Collins, published 1998
2. (intransitive) To dwell in a stable.
3. (rail transport, transitive) To park (a rail vehicle).
   S.R. Pacific No. 34010 Sidmouth leaves Wembley Central to stable the stock of its excursion from the S.R. at North Wembley; the train was run in connection with a Wembley football event on April 30, 1960. 1960 July, Trains Illustrated, page 385, photo caption
   Great Western Railway has placed its Class 143 Pacer fleet into warm storage, with the majority stabled at Exeter. April 22 2020, “Fleet News: Passenger operators put parts of fleet into warm storage...”, in Rail, page 25

Etymology 2

From Middle English stable, from Anglo-Norman stable, stabel, from Latin stabilis (“firm, steadfast”) (itself from stare (“stand”) + -abilis (“able”)). Displaced native Old English staþolfæst.

adj

1. Relatively unchanging, steady, permanent; firmly fixed or established; consistent; not easily moved, altered, or destroyed.
   He was in a stable relationship.
   a stable government
   In this region of chance, […] where nothing ws stable. a. 1729, John Rogers, The Greatness of the Gospel Salvation
2. (computing) Of software: established to be relatively free of bugs, as opposed to a beta version.
   You should download the 1.9 version of that video editing software: it is the latest stable version. The newer beta version has some bugs.
3. (computer science, of a sorting algorithm) That maintains the relative order of items that compare as equal.