stable
1a building for the lodging and feeding of horses, cattle, etc.
such a building with stalls.
a collection of animals housed in such a building.
Horse Racing.
an establishment where racehorses are kept and trained.
the horses belonging to, or the persons connected with, such an establishment.
Informal.
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.
the establishment that trains or manages such a group of people: two boxers from the same stable.
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.
to put or lodge in or as if in a stable.
to live in or as if in a stable.
Origin of stable
1Other words for stable
Other words from stable
- sta·ble·like, adjective
- un·sta·bled, adjective
Other definitions for stable (2 of 2)
able or likely to continue or last; firmly established; enduring or permanent: a stable government.
resistant to sudden change or deterioration: A stable economy is the aim of every government.
steadfast; not wavering or changeable, as in character or purpose; dependable.
not subject to emotional instability or illness; sane; mentally sound.
Physics. having the ability to react to a disturbing force by maintaining or reestablishing position, form, etc.
Chemistry. not readily decomposing, as a compound; resisting molecular or chemical change.
(of a patient's condition) exhibiting no significant change.
Origin of stable
2Other words for stable
1 | fixed, secure, sturdy |
4 | invariable, staunch, constant, reliable, steady, unswerving, unvarying |
Other words from stable
- sta·ble·ness, noun
- stably, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use stable in a sentence
He was feeling more stable and had cut back—at least temporarily—on his drinking.
The Synchronicity of Wolfgang Pauli and Carl Jung - Issue 93: Forerunners | Paul Halpern | November 18, 2020 | NautilusModerna said on Monday that new stability data showed its vaccine is stable at refrigerator temperatures for 30 days, much longer than a previously estimated seven days.
Compared to influenza viruses, coronaviruses are more stable and less likely to evolve in response to pre-existing immunity.
Rubin said a person’s “bank” of risk should be even lower in winter because respiratory viruses like the coronavirus are more stable in dry, colder air.
At dinner parties and game nights, casual American life is fueling the coronavirus surge | Karin Brulliard | November 12, 2020 | Washington PostPart of what made the mass distribution of smallpox vaccine possible is that it was heat stable, meaning that it did not need to be refrigerated.
The secret weapon for distributing a potential covid-19 vaccine | Joanna Radin | November 12, 2020 | Washington Post
And so we seem to be caught in what Bryan Caplan terms “a stably wasteful equilibrium”.
More on Whether We're Paying too Much for College | Megan McArdle | September 11, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTThe assumption of a stably uniform environment (even the hankering for one) expresses a fiction due to attachment to old habits.
Human Nature and Conduct | John DeweyAurora often wondered what would become of Miss Stably when she departed this life, and left her knitting behind her.
The Opal Serpent | Fergus HumeNo one stably or sincerely uses the more critical notion, of a group of sense-qualities united by a law.
Pragmatism | William JamesThe king promised on his word to abide firmly and stably by what they should decree.
A Popular History of France From The Earliest Times | Francois Pierre Guillaume GuizotIndeed it could not have been stably solved without certain assurances from them.
British Dictionary definitions for stable (1 of 2)
/ (ˈsteɪbəl) /
a building, usually consisting of stalls, for the lodging of horses or other livestock
the animals lodged in such a building, collectively
the racehorses belonging to a particular establishment or owner
the establishment itself
(as modifier): stable companion
informal a source of training, such as a school, theatre, etc: the two athletes were out of the same stable
a number of people considered as a source of a particular talent: a stable of writers
(modifier) of, relating to, or suitable for a stable: stable manners
to put, keep, or be kept in a stable
Origin of stable
1British Dictionary definitions for stable (2 of 2)
/ (ˈsteɪbəl) /
steady in position or balance; firm
lasting or permanent: a stable relationship
steadfast or firm of purpose
(of an elementary particle, atomic nucleus, etc) not undergoing decay; not radioactive: a stable nuclide
(of a chemical compound) not readily partaking in a chemical change
(of electronic equipment) with no tendency to self-oscillation
Origin of stable
2Derived forms of stable
- stableness, noun
- stably, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for stable
[ stā′bəl ]
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. See more at decay.
Relating to a chemical compound that does not easily decompose or change into other compounds. Water is an example of a stable compound.
Relating to an atom or chemical element that is unlikely to share electrons with another atom or element.
Not likely to change significantly or to deteriorate suddenly, as an individual's medical condition.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with stable
see lock the barn (stable) door after the horse has bolted.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Browse