stalemate

stalemate
\ \ [18] Stalemate is a compound noun, based on the now obsolete stalestalemate’. And this in turn was probably borrowed from Anglo- Norman estalefixed position’, a derivative of Old French estalerhalt’, which also underlies English stale and stall. So etymologically, when you reach stalemate in chess, you have to ‘stand’ or ‘halt’ where you are, going neither forward nor back.

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • stalemate — (n.) 1765, in chess, from stale stalemate (early 15c.) + MATE (Cf. mate) (n.2) checkmate. Middle English stale is probably from Anglo Fr. estale standstill (see STALL (Cf. stall) (n.2)). A misnomer, since a stale is no …   Etymology dictionary

  • stalemate — [stāl′māt΄] n. [obs. stale, stalemate < ME < OFr estal, fixed location, safe place < Gmc, as in OHG stal (see STALL1) + MATE2] 1. Chess any situation in which it is impossible for one of the players to move without placing his or her… …   English World dictionary

  • Stalemate — Stale mate , v. t. (Chess) To subject to a stalemate; hence, to bring to a stand. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • stalemate — ► NOUN 1) Chess a position counting as a draw, in which a player is not in check but can only move into check. 2) a situation in which further progress by opposing parties seems impossible. ► VERB ▪ bring to stalemate. ORIGIN from Old French… …   English terms dictionary

  • Stalemate — Stale mate ( m[=a]t ), n. (Chess) The position of the king when he can not move without being placed in check and there is no other piece which can be moved. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • stalemate — index abeyance, check (restrain), deadlock, draw (tie), halt, impasse, impede …   Law dictionary

  • stalemate — n *draw, tie, deadlock, standoff …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • stalemate — [n] deadlock arrest, Catch 22*, check, delay, draw, gridlock, impasse, pause, standoff, standstill, tie; concepts 230,807,832 Ant. headway, progress …   New thesaurus

  • Stalemate — Example of stalemate a b c d e f g h …   Wikipedia

  • stalemate — noun ADJECTIVE ▪ political ▪ current VERB + STALEMATE ▪ end in, reach, result in ▪ The talks reached a stalemate. (BrE …   Collocations dictionary

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