stalemate
noun
[ ˈsteɪlmeɪt ]
• a situation in which further action or progress by opposing or competing parties seems impossible.
• "the war had again reached stalemate"
• a position counting as a draw, in which a player is not in check but cannot move except into check.
• "last time I played him it ended up in stalemate"
stalemate
verb
• bring to or cause to reach stalemate.
• "the group played a key role in stalemating the negotiations"
Origin:
mid 18th century: from obsolete stale (from Anglo-Norman French estale ‘position’, from estaler ‘be placed’) + mate2.
