It is commonly applied to the phenomenon whereby an engine abruptly ceases operating and stops turning.
[1][2] This increase in engine load is common in vehicles with a manual transmission when the clutch is released too suddenly.
Stalling also happens when the driver forgets to depress the clutch and/or change to neutral while coming to a stop.
[1] A car fitted with an automatic transmission could also have its engine stalled when the vehicle is travelling in the opposite direction to the selected gear.
Digital electronics fuel injection and ECU ignition systems have greatly reduced stalling in modern engines.