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stall

STAWL /stɔːl/

verbnounB2TOEFLIELTS

neutral

To cause an engine to stop unintentionally due to insufficient power, improper clutch release, or mechanical fault.

Refers specifically to a sudden, unplanned engine shutdown during vehicle operation.

The story behind the word. From Old English steall (a standing place or barn stall for animals). It came to mean coming to a stand or stop. When early internal combustion engines died unexpectedly under heavy load or poor clutching, mechanics said the engine had 'stalled'—come to a dead standstill.

Word relationships

die: Die is informal ('the engine died'); stall implies engine failure due to load or air/fuel loss.
cut out: Cut out refers to an electrical or fuel delivery interruption.

start: Start means igniting and bringing the engine into running operation.
rev: Rev means increasing engine speed.

Commonly confused with

skid: Skid is tires sliding on the road; stall is engine stopping running.

Word family

stalled (adjective): Stopped or brought to an unwanted standstill.

Collocations

stall the engine
engine stalls
stall on a hill

Idioms & expressions

stall for time

Example sentences

"If you release the clutch pedal too fast without giving enough gas, the engine will stall." Learning manual transmission
"The car stalled right in the middle of the intersection, creating a quick traffic jam." Intersection delay

Memory hook

STALL = STAnd still suddenly when the motor dies! Stall = Engine unexpectedly dies.

When not to use

Do not use when intentionally turning off the engine with the ignition key.

Fun facts

In aviation, an aerodynamic 'stall' occurs when an airplane wing loses lift due to too high an angle of attack—a critical hazard completely distinct from engine stalls!