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The stock or handle of anything; as, the stale of a rake. [Written also steal, stele, etc.] But seeling the arrow's stale without, and that the head did go No further than it might be seen. Chapman.

In a state stale manner.

To subject to a stalemate; hence, to bring to a stand.

The quality or state of being stale.

Placed on, or supported by, a pedestal; figuratively, exalted. Hawthorne. Pedestaled haply in a palace court. Keats.

The handle of a rake. That tale is not worth a rakestele. Chaucer.

A group of butterflies including those known as virgins, or gossamer-winged butterflies.

To lose flavor or become stale. [Obs.]

does. G. Eliot. To blow upon. (a) To blast; to taint; to bring into discredit; to render stale, unsavory, or worthless. (b) To inform against. [Colloq.] How far the very custom of hearing anything spouted withers and blows upon a fine passage, may be seen in those speeches from [Shakespeare's] Henry V. which are curre…

Stale; worthless.

Familiar aquaintance; familiarity. [Obs.] Age can not wither her, nor custom stale Her infinite variety. Shak. Custom of merchants, a system or code of customs by which affairs of commerce are regulated. -- General customs, those which extend over a state or kingdom. -- Particular customs, those which are limited to…

Tasteless; stale; vapid; insipid; dead; as, fruit or drink flat to the taste.

To make vapid or insipid; to render stale.

Lately produced, gathered, or prepared for market; not stale; not dried or preserved; not wilted, faded, or tainted; in good condition; as, fresh vegetables, flowers, eggs, meat, fruit, etc.; recently made or obtained; occurring again; repeated; as, a fresh supply of goods; fresh tea, raisins, etc.; lately come or made…

Musty; moldy; stale. [Obs.] Shak.

A jest book; a stale jest; a worn-out joke. [Colloq.] It is an old Joe Miller in whist circles, that there are only two reasons that can justify you in not returning trumps to your partner's lead; i. e., first, sudden illness; secondly, having none. Pole.

Spoiled by age; rank; stale. The proverb is somewhat musty. Shak.

The quality or state of being flat, thin, or insipid; flat commonness; triteness; staleness of ideas of language. To hammer one golden grain of wit into a sheet of infinite platitude. Motley.

One addicted to uttering platitudes, or stale and insipid truisms. "A political platitudinarian." G. Eliot.

or rabbis, or pertaining to the opinions, learning, or language of the rabbins. "Comments staler than rabbinic." Lowell.