Stales

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. This term describes food that is old and unappetizing as well as ideas or information that have become out-of-date
2. It indicates a lack of newness or vitality, whether referring to baked goods or outdated concepts
3. Describing items that have lost freshness and appeal, such as bread that is no longer palatable; also refers to thoughts and notions that are no longer current or engaging

Etymology: The word "stales" is simply the plural of "stale," which itself has a surprisingly tangled ancestry. Several unrelated English words converged on the same spelling. One strand traces to Old English "stalu," meaning a handle or support, and a related root gives us "steal" and "stele," an upright stone slab. Another strand comes from Old French "estal," meaning a fixed place or position, which connects to "stall" and "stand." This sense also gave rise to the word for a market stall, and the idea of food that has been sitting out for too long. Perhaps the most surprising strand is less appetizing. A separate Middle English "stale" meant urine, borrowed from a Middle Dutch word with the same meaning, and the verb "stale" for urinating came from Old French. Old English had yet another "stale," a decoy bird used to lure hawks, which may connect to "standing" in the sense of waiting. Modern "stale," meaning old or lacking freshness, is most likely a development from the market-stall sense, where goods left out too long lost their appeal.

Synonyms: old items, expired goods

Antonyms: fresh items, new goods