Meaning of “stall” in the English Dictionary

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"stall" in English

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stallnoun

uk ​ /stɔːl/ us ​ /stɑːl/

stall noun (SEATS)

the stalls [ plural ]

› rows of fixed seats in a church, often with the sides and backs connected

› UK US the orchestra the seats on the main floor of a theatre or cinema, not at a higher level

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stallverb

uk ​ /stɔːl/ us ​ /stɑːl/

stall verb (DELAY)

› [ I ] to delay taking action or avoid giving an answer in order to have more time to make a decision or get an advantage:

She says she'll give me the money next week but I think she's just stalling (for time).

› [ T ] If you stall a person, you delay them or prevent them from doing something for a period of time:

I managed to stall him for a few days until I'd got enough money to pay back the loan.
mainly US The thief broke into the office while his accomplice stalled off the security guard.

› [ I ] to stop making progress:

Japan's economic growth has stalled, with industrial production contracting in June for the fourth straight month.

› [ T ] If you stall an event, you delay it or prevent it from making progress:

Commandos stalled the enemy attack by destroying three bridges.
Fears are growing that a tax increase may stall economic recovery.

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

(Definition of “stall” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

"stall" in American English

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stallverb [ I/T ]

us ​ /stɔl/

stall verb [ I/T ] (DELAY)

› to delay or put off action:

[ I ] They’re just stalling, trying to avoid making a decision.
[ T ] I can stall him for a few minutes.

stall verb [ I/T ] (STOP WORKING)

› to cause a vehicle or engine to stop suddenly, or of a vehicle or engine to stop suddenly:

[ I ] My car stalled at the traffic light.

stallnoun [ C ]

us ​ /stɔl/

stall noun [ C ] (AREA)

› a separate area in which an animal is kept

› A stall is also a small enclosed space used for a particular purpose:

The bathroom had a tiled shower stall.

(Definition of “stall” from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

"stall" in Business English

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stallverb

uk ​ /stɔːl/ us ​

› [ I or T ] if a process or system stalls or something stalls it, it suddenly stops developing or making progress:

Japan's economic growth has stalled.
Contract negotiations between management and the union have stalled again.
I don't believe there was a deliberate plan to stall the process.

› [ I ] if someone stalls, they do not answer a question immediately or continue a discussion, in order to give themselves more time to think:

"I have to look it up on my machine at home," he said stalling for time.

stallnoun [ C ]

uk ​ /stɔːl/ us ​ COMMERCE

› a table or structure from which someone sells things on the street or in an outdoor market:

She set up a stall at the fair to sell her jewelery.
A long row of market stalls was filled with every kind of food you could imagine.

(Definition of “stall” from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

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