stale•mate
Pronunciation: (stāl'māt"), [key]
— n., v., -mat•ed, -mat•ing.
—n.
- a position of the pieces in which a player cannot move any piece except the king and cannot move the king without putting it in check.
- any position or situation in which no action can be taken or progress made; deadlock: Talks between union and management resulted in a stalemate.
—v.t.
- to subject to a stalemate.
- to bring to a standstill.
—v.i.
- to be or result in a stalemate or standoff: Negotiations stalemated when new salary demands were introduced.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.