Emily Dickinson Lexicon

STALE, a. [I do not find this word in the other Teutonic dialects. It is probably from the root of still, G. stellen, to set, and equivalent to stagnant.]

1. Vapid or tasteless from age; having lost its life, spirit and flavor from being long kept; as, stale beer.
2. Having lost the life or graces of youth; worn out; decayed; as, a stale virgin. – Spectator.
3. Worn out by use; trite; common; having lost its novelty and power of pleasing; as, a stale remark.