I. sta ‧ ble 1 W3 AC /ˈsteɪb ə l/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: estable , from Latin stabilis , from stare 'to stand' ]
1 . steady and not likely to move or change OPP unstable ⇨ stability :
A wide base will make the structure much more stable.
in a stable condition British English in stable condition American English :
He is said to be in a stable condition in hospital.
Children like a stable environment.
2 . calm, reasonable, and not easy to upset OPP unstable ⇨ stability :
He was clearly not a very stable person.
3 . technical a stable substance tends to stay in the same chemical or ↑ atomic state OPP unstable
—stably adverb
II. stable 2 BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: estable , from Latin stabulum , from stare ; ⇨ ↑ stable 1 ]
1 . a building where horses are kept
2 . stables [plural] a place where horses are kept and that often gives riding lessons
3 . a group of racing horses that has one owner or trainer
4 . a group of people working for the same company or with the same trainer:
actors from the same Hollywood stable
5 . shut/close the stable door after the horse has bolted British English to try to prevent something when it is too late and harm has already been done
III. stable 3 BrE AmE verb [transitive]
to put or keep a horse in a stable