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.