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sta·ble 1 (stābəl)
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adj. sta·bler, sta·blest
1.
a. Resistant to change of position or condition; not easily moved or disturbed: a house built on stable ground; a stable platform.
b. Not subject to sudden or extreme change or fluctuation: a stable economy; a stable currency.
c. Maintaining equilibrium; self-restoring: a stable aircraft.
2. Enduring or permanent: a stable peace.
3.
a. Consistent or dependable: She has been stable in her support for the project.
b. Not showing or marked by erratic or volatile emotions or behavior: He remained stable even after he lost his job.
4. Physics Having no known mode of decay; indefinitely long-lived. Used of atomic particles.
5. Chemistry Not easily decomposed or otherwise modified chemically.

[Middle English, from Old French estable, from Latin stabilis; see stā- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

stable·ness n.
stably adv.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
sta·ble 2 (stābəl)
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n.
1.
a. A building for the shelter and feeding of certain domestic animals, especially horses.
b. A group of animals lodged in such a building.
2.
a. All the racehorses belonging to a single owner or racing establishment.
b. The personnel employed to keep and train such a group of racehorses.
3. A group, as of athletes or entertainers, under common management: a stable of prizefighters.
v. sta·bled, sta·bling, sta·bles
v.tr.
To put or keep in a stable.
v.intr.
To live in a stable.

[Middle English, from Old French estable, from Latin stabulum, stable, standing place; see stā- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.