stall

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”).

noun

1. (countable) A compartment for a single animal in a stable or cattle shed.
2. A stable; a place for cattle.
3. A bench or table on which small articles of merchandise are exposed for sale.
4. (countable) A small open-fronted shop, for example in a market, food court, etc.
   Despite the swift backpedalling of the university, the original notice given to stall operators is suggestive of the potential existence of 'a growing English-speaking elite' that is 'happy to maintain the importance of the English language'. 2019, Li Huang, James Lambert, “Another Arrow for the Quiver: A New Methodology for Multilingual Researchers”, in Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, →DOI, page 3
5. A very small room used for a shower or a toilet.
   Rabbit eases from the king-size bed, goes into their bathroom with its rose-colored one-piece Fiberglas tub and shower stall, and urinates into the toilet of a matching rose porcelain. 1990, John Updike, Rabbit at Rest
6. (countable) A seat in a theatre close to and (about) level with the stage; traditionally, a seat with arms, or otherwise partly enclosed, as distinguished from the benches, sofas, etc.
7. (Germanic paganism) An Heathen altar, typically an indoor one, as contrasted with a more substantial outdoor harrow.
   In a private rite, a ring is drawn on the ground around a harrow or before an indoor stall. 1989, Edred Thorsson, A Book of Troth, Llewellyn Publications, page 156
   Some Asatruar kindreds call their indoor altars stalls and their outdoor altars harrows. 2006, Selene Silverwind, “Asatruar Tools and Practices”, in Everything you need to know about Paganism, David & Charles, page 117
   Stalli (STAL-i) - Altar. 2006, Mark Puryear, The Nature of Asatru: An Overview of the Ideals and Philosophy of the Indigenous Religion of Northern Europe, iUniverse, page 237
8. A seat in a church, especially one next to the chancel or choir, reserved for church officials and dignitaries.
9. A church office that entitles the incumbent to the use of a church stall.
   1910 [1840], Alexandre Dumas, père, translator not mentioned, Celebrated Crimes: Urbain Grandier, P. F. Collier edition, When he had been some months installed there as a priest-in-charge, he received a prebendal stall, thanks to the same patrons, in the collegiate church of Sainte-Croix.
10. A sheath to protect the finger.
11. (mining) The space left by excavation between pillars.
12. (Canada) A parking stall; a space for a vehicle in a parking lot or parkade.

verb

1. (transitive) To put (an animal, etc.) in a stall.
   to stall an ox
2. To fatten.
   to stall cattle
3. (obsolete) To live in, or as if in, a stall; to dwell.
4. To place in an office with the customary formalities; to install.
5. To forestall; to anticipate.
6. To keep close; to keep secret.

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”).

noun

1. An action that is intended to cause, or actually causes, delay.
   His encounters with security, reception, the secretary, and the assistant were all stalls until the general manager's attorney arrived.
2. (aeronautics) Loss of lift due to an airfoil's critical angle of attack being exceeded, normally occurring due to low airspeed.
   The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the asymmetric stall and the ensuing roll of the aircraft because of the uncommanded retraction of the left wing outboard leading edge slats and the loss of stall warning and slat disagreement indication systems resulting from maintenance-induced damage leading to the separation of the No. 1 engine and pylon assembly at a critical point during takeoff. The separation resulted from damage by improper maintenance procedures which led to failure of the pylon structure. 21 December 1979, National Transportation Safety Board, “3.2 Probable Cause”, in Aircraft Accident Report: American Airlines, Inc., DC-10-10, N110AA, Chicago-O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois, May 25, 1979, archived from the original on 2022-08-17, page 69

verb

1. (transitive) To employ delaying tactics against.
   He stalled the creditors as long as he could.
2. (intransitive) To employ delaying tactics; to stall for time.
   Soon it became clear that she was stalling to give him time to get away.
   See the look on my face From staying too long in one place But every time I try to leave I find I keep on stalling 2007, KT Tunstall (lyrics and music), “Saving My Face”, in Drastic Fantastic
3. (intransitive) To come to a standstill.
   … the 4-4-0 unhappily stalled after a stop on Reading Old Bank with its eight-coach load and the Reading Up Line pilot, a "Hall", had to bank the train into Reading General. 1960 July, “Motive Power Miscellany: Western Region”, in Trains Illustrated, page 443
4. (transitive) To cause to stop making progress; to hinder; to slow down; to delay or forestall.
5. (intransitive, aviation) To exceed the critical angle of attack, resulting in loss of lift.
   The thrust levers were advanced, the first officer selected the go-around mode for the flight director, and he started to increase the pitch of the aircraft to the command bar indications, 10 degrees nose up. About one second after the first officer acknowledged the go-around, the stick shaker (stall warning) activated. As the aircraft reached 10 degrees nose up, about one and one-half seconds after the stick shaker activated, the captain called flaps and selected them to the go-around setting, the warbler tone associated with the stall protection system (SPS) sounded, and the aircraft stalled aerodynamically. The aircraft rolled right to approximately 55 degrees of bank, and the right wing tip contacted the runway about 2700 feet from the threshold and 45 feet left of the centre line, the right wing tip bending upwards about four feet from the tip. 15 April 1999, Transportation Safety Board of Canada, “1.1 History of the Flight”, in Aviation Investigation Report A97H0011, Loss of control on go-around (Rejected Landing), Air Canada Canadair CL-600-2B19 C-FSKI, Fredericton Airport, New Brunswick, 16 December 1997, archived from the original on 2022-09-02, pages 1–2
6. (transitive, aviation) To cause to exceed the critical angle of attack, resulting in loss of lift.
   The pilot stalled the plane by pulling the nose up too high at a slow airspeed.
7. To plunge into mire or snow so as not to be able to get on; to set; to fix.
   to stall a cart
   His horses had been stalled in the snow. 1884, Edward Everett Hale, The Fortunes of Rachel
8. (intransitive, of an engine) To stop suddenly.
9. (transitive, automotive) To cause the engine of a manual-transmission car or truck to stop by going too slowly for the selected gear.
10. (obsolete) To be stuck, as in mire or snow; to stick fast.
11. (obsolete) To be tired of eating, as cattle.