staling

Verb (1)

stale (third-person singular simple present stales, present participle staling, simple past and past participle staled)

1. (transitive) To make stale; to cause to go out of fashion or currency; to diminish the novelty or interest of, particularly by excessive exposure or consumption.
   • Ile goe tell all the Argument of his Play aforehand, and so stale his Inuention to the Auditory before it come foorth.1601, Ben Jonson, Fountaine of Self-love, section 36
2. (intransitive) To become stale; to grow odious from excessive exposure or consumption.
   • They have got so much of Christ as to be staled of his company.1717, E. Erskine, Serm. in Wks., 50 1
3. (intransitive) To become stale; to grow unpleasant from age.
   • The Drink from that Time flattens and stales.1742, W. Ellis, London & Country Brewer, 4th edition, I 64
4. (obsolete, transitive) To make stale; to age in order to clear and strengthen (a drink, especially beer).
   • Stalyn, or make stale drynke, defeco.c. 1440, Promp. Parv., 472 1

Verb (2)

stale (third-person singular simple present stales, present participle staling, simple past and past participle staled)

1. (obsolete, transitive) To make a ladder by joining rungs ("stales") between the posts.
   • For stalyng of the ladders of the Churche xx d.1492, Archæol. Cant., XVI 304

Verb (3)

stale (third-person singular simple present stales, present participle staling, simple past and past participle staled)

1. (transitive, uncommon) To stalemate.
   • He shall stale þe black kyng in the pointe þer the crosse standith.c. 1470, Ashmole MS 344, 7

See all 39 meanings of stale