n.
- a stand, booth, or compartment for the sale of goods in a market.
- an individual compartment for an animal in a stable or cowshed, enclosed on three sides.
▸a stable or cowshed.
▸
(also starting stall)
a cage-like compartment in which a horse is held prior to the start of a race.
- a compartment for one person in a set of toilets, shower cubicles, etc.
▸N. Amer. a marked-out parking space.
- a seat in the choir or chancel of a church, enclosed at the back and sides and often canopied, typically reserved for a member of the clergy.
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(stalls)
Brit. the ground-floor seats in a theatre.
- an instance of an engine or vehicle stalling.
v.
- (with reference to a motor vehicle or its engine) stop or cause to stop running.
▸(of an aircraft) be moving at a speed too low to allow effective operation of the controls.
▸Sailing have insufficient wind power to give controlled motion.
- stop making progress.
- prevaricate.
▸delay or divert by prevarication.
- keep (an animal) in a stall, especially in order to fatten it.
Etymology
OE steall ‘stable or cattle shed’, of Gmc origin; rel. to stand.