stall /ˈstɔl/
 廄,停車處,牧師職位,貨攤,託辭,拖延(vt.)關入廄,停頓,推託,支吾


 Stall n.
 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.”
 2. A stable; a place for cattle.
    At last he found a stall where oxen stood.   --Dryden.
 3. A small apartment or shed in which merchandise is exposed for sale; as, a butcher's stall; a bookstall.
 4. A bench or table on which small articles of merchandise are exposed for sale.
    How peddlers' stalls with glittering toys are laid.   --Gay.
 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.
    The dignified clergy, out of humility, have called their thrones by the names of stalls.   --Bp. Warburton.
    Loud the monks sang in their stalls.   --Longfellow.
 6. In the theater, a seat with arms or otherwise partly inclosed, as distinguished from the benches, sofas, etc.
 7. Mining The space left by excavation between pillars. See Post and stall, under Post.
 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.
 Stall reader, one who reads books at a stall where they are exposed for sale.
 Cries the stall reader, “Bless us! what a word on
 A titlepage is this!”    --Milton.


 Stall, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Stalled p. pr. & vb. n. Stalling.]
 1. To put into a stall or stable; to keep in a stall or stalls; as, to stall an ox.
    Where King Latinus then his oxen stalled.    --Dryden.
 2. To fatten; as, to stall cattle. [Prov. Eng.]
 3. To place in an office with the customary formalities; to install. [Obs.]
 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.
    His horses had been stalled in the snow.   --E. E. Hale.
 5. To forestall; to anticipate. [Obs.]
    This is not to be stall'd by my report.   --Massinger.
 6. To keep close; to keep secret. [Obs.]
    Stall this in your bosom.   --Shak.


 Stall, v. i.
 1. To live in, or as in, a stall; to dwell. [Obs.]
 We could not stall together
 In the whole world.   --Shak.
 2. To kennel, as dogs.
 3. To be set, as in mire or snow; to stick fast.
 4. To be tired of eating, as cattle. [Prov. Eng.]

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 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,
          kiosk]
      3: a booth where articles are displayed for sale [syn: 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: small individual study area in a library [syn: carrel, carrell,
          cubicle]
      6: a tactic used to mislead or delay [syn: stalling]
      v 1: postpone doing what one should be doing; "He did not want to
           write the letter and procrastinated for days" [syn: procrastinate,
            drag one's feet, drag one's heels, shillyshally,
           dilly-dally, dillydally]
      2: come to a stop; "The car stalled in the driveway" [syn: 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"