stable
STAY-buhl
Stable (noun) means a building where horses or other animals are kept and cared for. Example: “She mucked out the stable before feeding the horses.”
noun
1
A building where horses or other animals are kept and cared for.
"She mucked out the stable before feeding the horses."
"The old stable at the end of the farm now stores hay and tools."
"A friendly pony poked its head out of the stable door."
2
All the racehorses, or the people, belonging to one owner, trainer, or organisation.
"The trainer's stable includes several past Grand National winners."
"Several horses from the same stable ran in the big race on Saturday."
"She joined a famous racing stable as a junior rider."
adj
1
Steady, firmly established, and not likely to change suddenly.
"The patient's condition is now stable."
"They wanted a stable home for their children."
"Keep the ladder stable by asking someone to hold it while you climb."
2
Of software: tested and reliable, as opposed to an experimental or beta version.
"We only deploy the stable release to production."
"Beta testers found bugs, but the stable version of the app runs smoothly."
"I would wait for the stable release before updating my work computer."
How to use stable
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA building for horses, a group of people/animals under one management, or — as an adjective — steady and unlikely to change.
Common pairings
stable condition
stable relationship
racing stable
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Word forms
- Plural
- stables
- Third person singular
- stables
- Past tense
- stabled
- Comparative
- stabler, more stable
- Superlative
- stablest, most stable
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She mucked out the _____ before feeding the horses.
Etymology
From Latin stabulum, related to stare ("to stand"), via Old French stable.
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for stable
See all rhymes for stable →Frequently asked questions
What does “stable” mean?
The word “stable” means a building where horses or other animals are kept and cared for. In plain terms, a building for horses, a group of people/animals under one management, or — as an adjective — steady and unlikely to change.
How do you pronounce “stable”?
“Stable” is pronounced STAY-buhl (/ˈsteɪ.bəl/ in IPA).
How do you use “stable” in a sentence?
Here is “stable” used in a sentence: “She mucked out the stable before feeding the horses.”
What is another word for “stable”?
Words with a similar meaning to “stable” include unvarying.
What is the opposite of “stable”?
The opposite of “stable” — its antonyms — are instable, mobile, unstable and varying.
What part of speech is “stable”?
Depending on how it is used, “stable” can be a noun and an adjective.
Where does the word “stable” come from?
The word “stable” comes from Latin. From Latin stabulum, related to stare ("to stand"), via Old French stable.
Is “stable” a common word?
“Stable” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
What is the difference between a stable and a barn?
A stable is built specifically to house horses, usually divided into individual stalls with feed and bedding. A barn is a larger, more general farm building used for storing hay, grain, and equipment, and for sheltering various livestock. Put simply, all stables shelter animals, but a barn serves broader farm purposes.
What is the difference between a stable and a stall?
A stall is a single compartment inside a stable, sized to hold one horse. The stable is the whole building that contains those stalls, along with space for tack, feed, and grooming. So the stall is a part, and the stable is the larger structure around it.
What is a stable used for?
A stable shelters horses from weather and provides a safe place to rest, feed, and be groomed. It stores tack, feed, and bedding, and gives handlers a controlled space for veterinary care, saddling, and daily management. Riding schools and farms rely on stables to keep their animals healthy.
Does stable also mean steady?
Yes, but that is a separate part of speech. As an adjective, "stable" means firm, steady, or not likely to change or collapse, as in a stable ladder or a stable economy. The noun meaning a horse building is unrelated in sense, though the two are spelled and pronounced the same.
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