l]
noun, verb, -bled, -bling.| 1. | a building for the lodging and feeding of horses, cattle, etc. |
| 2. | such a building with stalls. |
| 3. | a collection of animals housed in such a building. |
| 4. | Horse Racing.
|
| 5. | Informal.
|
| 6. | to put or lodge in or as if in a stable. |
| 7. | to live in or as if in a stable. |

l]
| 1. | not likely to fall or give way, as a structure, support, foundation, etc.; firm; steady. |
| 2. | able or likely to continue or last; firmly established; enduring or permanent: a stable government. |
| 3. | resistant to sudden change or deterioration: A stable economy is the aim of every government. |
| 4. | steadfast; not wavering or changeable, as in character or purpose; dependable. |
| 5. | not subject to emotional instability or illness; sane; mentally sound. |
| 6. | Physics. having the ability to react to a disturbing force by maintaining or reestablishing position, form, etc. |
| 7. | Chemistry. not readily decomposing, as a compound; resisting molecular or chemical change. |
| 8. | (of a patient's condition) exhibiting no significant change. |
sta·ble 2 (stā'bəl) n.
v. tr. To put or keep in or as if in a stable. v. intr. To live in or as if in a stable. [Middle English, from Old French estable, from Latin stabulum, stable, standing place; see stā- in Indo-European roots.] |
"For what the grete Stiede
Is stole, thanne he taketh hiede,
And makth the stable dore fast."
[John Gower, "Confessio Amantis," 1390]
stable sta·ble (stā'bəl)
adj. sta·bler, sta·blest
Resistant to change of position or condition.
Not subject to mental illness or irrationality.
Having no known mode of decay; indefinitely long-lived. Used of atomic particles.
Not easily decomposed or otherwise modified chemically.