stall — to delay or postpone something deliberately
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to delay or postpone something deliberately
Pronunciation (IPA): /stɔːl/
Example Sentences
- The horse kicked the stall door when it heard thunder.
- The politician kept stalling when asked about the scandal.
- My diet stalled when I discovered the office donut stall.
stall
VERB[/stɔːl/]
to delay or postpone something deliberately
Deliberately delaying the meeting
Ignore the call and stall in the hall!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Old French 'estale' meaning a stand or stall, derived from Germanic roots related to standing or placing. The sense of 'to delay' developed in the 16th century, possibly from the idea of placing something in a stationary position to prevent progress.
Breakdown
stall: Germanic stem 'stal-' (stand, place) + suffix '-l' = stall (a compartment or to stop progress)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The horse kicked the stall door when it heard thunder.”
“The politician kept stalling when asked about the scandal.”
“My diet stalled when I discovered the office donut stall.”
“He's been stalling in that bathroom stall for 30 minutes - probably on his phone.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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