I. stall 1 S3 /stɔːl $ stɒːl/ BrE AmE noun
[ Sense 1-2, 4-6: Language: Old English ; Origin: steall ]
[ Sense 3: Date: 1900-2000 ; Origin: ⇨ ↑ stall 2 ]
1 . [countable] a table or a small shop with an open front, especially outdoors, where goods are sold:
a market stall
2 . [countable] an enclosed area in a building for an animal such as a horse or cow
3 . [countable usually singular] if a plane goes into a stall, its engine stops working
4 . [countable 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 British English the seats on the main level of a theatre or cinema:
a good seat in the front row of the stalls
II. stall 2 BrE AmE verb
[ Sense 1,4: Date: 1900-2000 ; Origin: stall 'to put in a stall' (14-20 centuries) , from ⇨ ↑ stall 1 ]
[ 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 . [intransitive and transitive] 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 . [intransitive] 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 . [transitive] 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 . [intransitive] to stop making progress or developing:
While his career has stalled, hers has taken off.