Stalemate
/ˈsteɪl.meɪt/noun
A situation in which no progress can be made by either side.
Did you know?Stalemate comes from chess, where a player with no legal move but not in check was originally described as being in a helpless, trapped position rather than a mystical curse.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
stæl
“a place or position; a standing place”
Middle English
ME
stal
“a stand, fixed position”
14th Century
Middle English
mate
“checkmate; defeat in chess”
1760s
English
stalemate
“a chess position in which the player to move has no legal move but is not in check”
Modern English
English
stalemate
“an impasse or deadlock in negotiation, politics, or conflict”