Added 9 October 2026
stale
/steɪl/ verb
verb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about stale at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
adjective
-
Lacking freshness, palatability, or showing deterioration from age.
stale bread
-
Lacking originality or spontaneity; no longer new.
moth-eaten theories about race
Origin
From Middle English stale, from Old French estal (“fixed position, place”), but probably originally from Proto-Germanic *stāną (“to stand”): compare West Flemish stel in the same sense for ‘beer’ and ‘urine’.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)