stall
    n 1: a compartment in a stable where a single animal is confined
         and fed
    2: small area set off by walls for special use [syn: booth,
       cubicle, stall, kiosk]
    3: a booth where articles are displayed for sale [syn: stall,
       stand, sales booth]
    4: a malfunction in the flight of an aircraft in which there is
       a sudden loss of lift that results in a downward plunge; "the
       plane went into a stall and I couldn't control it"
    5: seating in the forward part of the main level of a theater
    6: small individual study area in a library [syn: carrel,
       carrell, cubicle, stall]
    7: a tactic used to mislead or delay [syn: stall, stalling]
    v 1: postpone doing what one should be doing; "He did not want
         to write the letter and procrastinated for days" [syn:
         procrastinate, stall, drag one's feet, drag one's
         heels, shillyshally, dilly-dally, dillydally]
    2: come to a stop; "The car stalled in the driveway" [syn:
       stall, conk]
    3: deliberately delay an event or action; "she doesn't want to
       write the report, so she is stalling"
    4: put into, or keep in, a stall; "Stall the horse"
    5: experience a stall in flight, of airplanes
    6: cause an airplane to go into a stall
    7: cause an engine to stop; "The inexperienced driver kept
       stalling the car"

Stall \Stall\ (st[add]l), n. [OE. stal, AS. steall, stall, a
   place, seat, or station, a stable; akin to D. & OHG. stal, G.
   & Sw. stall, Icel. stallr, Dan. stald, originally, a standing
   place; akin also to G. stelle a place, stellen to place, Gr.
   ste`llein to set, place, send, and E. stand. [root]163. See
   Stand, and cf. Apostle, Epistle, Forestall,
   Install, Stale, a. & v. i., 1st Stalk, Stallion,
   Still.]
   1. A stand; a station; a fixed spot; hence, the stand or
      place where a horse or an ox is kept and fed; the division
      of a stable, or the compartment, for one horse, ox, or
      other animal. "In an oxes stall." --Chaucer.
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   2. A stable; a place for cattle.
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            At last he found a stall where oxen stood. --Dryden.
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   3. A small apartment or shed in which merchandise is exposed
      for sale; as, a butcher's stall; a bookstall.
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   4. A bench or table on which small articles of merchandise
      are exposed for sale.
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            How peddlers' stalls with glittering toys are laid.
                                                  --Gay.
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   5. A seat in the choir of a church, for one of the
      officiating clergy. It is inclosed, either wholly or
      partially, at the back and sides. The stalls are
      frequently very rich, with canopies and elaborate carving.
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            The dignified clergy, out of humility, have called
            their thrones by the names of stalls. --Bp.
                                                  Warburton.
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            Loud the monks sang in their stalls.  --Longfellow.
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   6. In the theater, a seat with arms or otherwise partly
      inclosed, as distinguished from the benches, sofas, etc.
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   7. (Mining) The space left by excavation between pillars. See
      Post and stall, under Post.
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   8. A covering or sheath, as of leather, horn, of iron, for a
      finger or thumb; a cot; as, a thumb stall; a finger stall.
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   Stall reader, one who reads books at a stall where they are
      exposed for sale.
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            Cries the stall reader, "Bless us! what a word on
            A titlepage is this!"                 --Milton.
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Stall \Stall\, v. i. [AS. steallian to have room. See Stall,
   n.]
   1. To live in, or as in, a stall; to dwell. [Obs.]
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            We could not stall together
            In the whole world.                   --Shak.
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   2. To kennel, as dogs. --Johnson.
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   3. To be set, as in mire or snow; to stick fast.
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   4. To be tired of eating, as cattle. [Prov. Eng.]
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Stall \Stall\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Stalled (st[add]ld); p. pr.
   & vb. n. Stalling.] [Cf. Sw. stalla, Dan. stalde.]
   1. To put into a stall or stable; to keep in a stall or
      stalls; as, to stall an ox.
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            Where King Latinus then his oxen stalled. --Dryden.
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   2. To fatten; as, to stall cattle. [Prov. Eng.]
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   3. To place in an office with the customary formalities; to
      install. [Obs.] --Shak.
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   4. To plunge into mire or snow so as not to be able to get
      on; to set; to fix; as, to stall a cart. --Burton.
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            His horses had been stalled in the snow. --E. E.
                                                  Hale.
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   5. To forestall; to anticipate. [Obs.]
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            This is not to be stall'd by my report. --Massinger.
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   6. To keep close; to keep secret. [Obs.]
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            Stall this in your bosom.             --Shak.
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