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View synonyms for stable

stable

1

[ stey-buhl ]

noun

  1. a building for the lodging and feeding of horses, cattle, etc.

    Synonyms: barn, mews

  2. such a building with stalls.
  3. a collection of animals housed in such a building.
  4. Horse Racing.
    1. an establishment where racehorses are kept and trained.
    2. the horses belonging to, or the persons connected with, such an establishment.
  5. Informal.
    1. a number of people, usually in the same profession, who are employed, trained, or represented by the same company, agency, manager, etc.:

      a comedy show with a large stable of writers.

    2. the establishment that trains or manages such a group of people:

      two boxers from the same stable.

    3. a collection of items produced by or belonging to an establishment, industry, profession, or the like:

      The American auto industry has some new small cars in its stable.



verb (used with object)

, sta·bled, sta·bling.
  1. to put or lodge in or as if in a stable.

verb (used without object)

, sta·bled, sta·bling.
  1. to live in or as if in a stable.

stable

2

[ stey-buhl ]

adjective

, sta·bler, sta·blest.
  1. not likely to fall or give way, as a structure, support, foundation, etc.; firm; steady.

    Synonyms: sturdy, secure, fixed

  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.

    Synonyms: steady, reliable, constant, staunch, invariable

  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.

stable

1

/ ˈsteɪbəl /

noun

  1. a building, usually consisting of stalls, for the lodging of horses or other livestock
  2. the animals lodged in such a building, collectively
    1. the racehorses belonging to a particular establishment or owner
    2. the establishment itself
    3. ( as modifier )

      stable companion

  3. informal.
    a source of training, such as a school, theatre, etc

    the two athletes were out of the same stable

  4. a number of people considered as a source of a particular talent

    a stable of writers

  5. modifier of, relating to, or suitable for a stable

    stable manners



verb

  1. to put, keep, or be kept in a stable

stable

2

/ ˈsteɪbəl /

adjective

  1. steady in position or balance; firm
  2. lasting or permanent

    a stable relationship

  3. steadfast or firm of purpose
  4. (of an elementary particle, atomic nucleus, etc) not undergoing decay; not radioactive

    a stable nuclide

  5. (of a chemical compound) not readily partaking in a chemical change
  6. (of electronic equipment) with no tendency to self-oscillation

stable

/ stābəl /

  1. Not susceptible to a process of decay, such as radioactivity. For example, the most common isotope of carbon, carbon 12, is stable. Protons and photons are examples of stable subatomic particles.
  2. See more at decay
  3. Relating to a chemical compound that does not easily decompose or change into other compounds. Water is an example of a stable compound.
  4. Relating to an atom or chemical element that is unlikely to share electrons with another atom or element.
  5. Not likely to change significantly or to deteriorate suddenly, as an individual's medical condition.


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Derived Forms

  • ˈstably, adverb
  • ˈstableness, noun

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Other Words From

  • stable·like adjective
  • un·stabled adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of stable1

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English stable, stabel(e), from Old French estable, from Latin stabulum “stall; shed,” equivalent to sta-, stem of stāre “to stand” + -bulum noun suffix denoting place; stand

Origin of stable2

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English stable, stabel(e), from Old French estable, stable, from Latin stabilis stabile

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Word History and Origins

Origin of stable1

C13: from Old French estable cowshed, from Latin stabulum shed, from stāre to stand

Origin of stable2

C13: from Old French estable , from Latin stabilis steady, from stāre to stand

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Idioms and Phrases

see lock the barn (stable) door after the horse has bolted .

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Example Sentences

These nanobodies were stable when dried and aerosolized, the researchers found, suggesting that they could be made into a nose spray.

Right now the livestock markets are overall not very stable.

From Ozy

Which creates shelf-stable foods without the use of preservatives.

A second report, based on a geotechnical and structural inspection by the Millennium Engineers Group of Pharr, Texas, also hired by the National Butterfly Center, found that the fence was stable for now, but that it faces a host of issues.

In July, researchers showed they could get a spin-orbit qubit implemented in silicon to last for about 10 milliseconds, while trapped ion qubits can stay stable for as long as 10 minutes.

At St. Barnabas Hospital, Pellerano was listed in stable condition with wounds to his chest and arm.

His lone stable was a girl from Newport News, Virginia, who had already escaped one nightmare.

The country, long viewed as stable, has recently been home to upheaval.

The areas that were once the most food stable flipped on their heads when Ebola arrived, and are now the least.

Unlike metals like iron, which rusts and corrodes dramatically, chromium remains stable after oxidation and subsequent burial.

Adjoining the engine-house on the other side, is the stable, where five splendid horses are kept.

Yet the word is general and apparently unconnected with the house, as it was not a stable but a boarding-house.

Dorothy led Jack off to the stable, and the half-frozen yeoman turned in to enjoy his cheerful fire.

When she went to go into her stable, Mace slowed her down till the street cars was gone by.

A broken broom, covered with very ancient cobwebs, lay under one manger, and the remnants of a stable-bucket under another.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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