stale´ness

stale¹ «stayl», adjective, stal|er, stal|est, verb, staled, stal|ing.

–adj.

1. that has lost some or all of its softness, flavor, or consistency through age; not fresh: »

stale bread.

2. flat; having lost its effervescence: »

stale ginger ale.

3. Figurative. no longer new or interesting; worn-out; hackneyed: »

a stale joke. How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable Seem to me all the uses of this world (Shakespeare).

SYNONYM(S): trite, banal.

4. out of condition through overtraining or too long continued exertion, as an athlete or race horse: »

The horse has gone stale from too much running. The team has gone stale from too much practice.

5. Figurative. temporarily lacking, as in vigor or nimbleness, especially through unremitting application to one kind of thing: »

a stale mind.

6. Law. (of a claim or demand in a court of equity) having been allowed to lie dormant for so long that it has lost validity.

–v.t.

1. to make stale: »

These are things which cannot be staled by repetition (George Gissing).

2. Obsolete. to lower in value or estimation; cheapen.

–v.i.

to become stale: »

Figurative. To see her was a delight that never staled (Somerset Maugham).

╂[Middle English stale. Compare etym. under stalemate (Cf. ↑stalemate), stall¹. (Cf. ↑stall)]

–stale´ly, adverb.

–stale´ness, noun.

stale² «stayl», verb, staled, stal|ing, noun.

–v.i.

(of horses and cattle) to urinate.

–n.

the urine of horses and cattle.

╂[origin uncertain. Compare Old French estaler, Dutch and Middle High German stallen.]