stall

stall¹ S2 [sto:l US sto:l] n

[Sense: 1-2, 4-6; Origin: Old English steall]

[Sense: 3; Date: 1900-2000; Origin: STALL²]

1.)

a table or a small shop with an open front, especially outdoors, where goods are sold

▪ a market stall

2.)

an enclosed area in a building for an animal such as a horse or cow

3.) [C usually singular]

if a plane goes into a stall, its engine stops working

4.) [C usually plural]

a seat in a row of fixed seats for priests and singers in some larger churches

▪ choir stalls

5.) bathroom/toilet/shower stall

a small enclosed private area for washing or using the toilet

6.) the stalls

BrE the seats on the main level of a theatre or cinema

▪ a good seat in the front row of the stalls

stall ²

stall² v

[Sense: 1,4; Date: 1900-2000; Origin: stall 'to put in a stall' (14-20 centuries), from STALL¹]

[Sense: 2-3; Date: 1800-1900; Origin: stale 'something that leads people from the correct way' (15-19 centuries), from Anglo-French estale 'something set up']

1.) [I and T]

if an engine or vehicle stalls, or if you stall it, it stops because there is not enough power or speed to keep it going

▪ The car kept stalling.

▪ An inexperienced pilot may easily stall a plane.

2.) [i]informal

to deliberately delay because you are not ready to do something, answer questions etc

▪ Quit stalling and answer my question!

▪ He was just stalling for time .

3.) [T] informal

to make someone wait or stop something from happening until you are ready

▪ Maybe we can stall the sale until the prices go up.

▪ We've got to stall him somehow.

4.) [I]

to stop making progress or developing

▪ The peace process remained stalled.

▪ While his career has stalled, hers has taken off.