English Dictionary

stale

/steɪl/

noun

(falconry, hunting, obsolete) A live bird to lure birds of prey or others of its kind into a trap. / (obsolete) Any lure, particularly in reference to people used as live bait.

The bread was stale and hard to eat.

意味（1）

(falconry, hunting, obsolete) A live bird to lure birds of prey or others of its kind into a trap.

Like vnto the fowlers, that by their stales draw other birdes into their nets.

意味（2）

(obsolete) Any lure, particularly in reference to people used as live bait.

She ran in all the hast

Vnbrased and vnlast...

It was a stale to take

She ran in all the hast Vnbrased and vnlast... It was a stale to take the deuyll in a brake.

意味（3）

(crime, obsolete) An accomplice of a thief or criminal acting as bait.

Their mynisters, be false bretherne or false sustern, stales of the deuyll.

意味（4）

(obsolete) a partner whose beloved abandons or torments him in favor of another.

I perceiue Lucilla (sayd he) that I was made thy stale, and Philautus thy laughinge stocke.

意味（5）

(obsolete) A patsy, a pawn, someone used under some false pretext to forward another's (usu. sinister) designs; a stalking horse.

That of the two nominated, one should be an unfit Man, and as it were a Stale, to bring the Office to the other.

意味（6）

(crime, obsolete) A prostitute of the lowest sort; any wanton woman.

Spare not to tell him, that he hath wronged his honor in marrying the renowned Claudio...to a contaminated stale.

意味（7）

(hunting, obsolete) Any decoy, either stuffed or manufactured.

'Tis the living bird that makes the best stale to draw others into the net.