verb (used without object)
1.
to spend some time in a place, in a situation, with a person or group, etc.: He stayed in the army for ten years.
2.
to continue to be as specified, as to condition or state: to stay clean.
3.
to hold out or endure, as in a contest or task (followed by with or at ): Please stay with the project as long as you can.
4.
to keep up, as with a competitor (followed by with ).
5.
Poker. to continue in a hand by matching an ante, bet, or raise.
verb (used with object)
10.
to stop or halt.
11.
to hold back, detain, or restrain, as from going further.
12.
to suspend or delay (actions, proceedings, etc.).
13.
to appease or satisfy temporarily the cravings of (the stomach, appetite, etc.).
14.
to remain through or during (a period of time): We stayed two days in San Francisco.
00:10
stay
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is skedaddle. Does it mean:
| to run away hurriedly; flee. |
| to flee; abscond: |
noun
Idioms 17.
the act of stopping or being stopped.
18.
a stop, halt, or pause; a standstill.
19.
a sojourn or temporary residence: a week's stay in Miami.
20.
Law. a stoppage or arrest of action; suspension of a judicial proceeding: The governor granted a stay of execution.
21.
Informal. staying power; endurance.
22.
stay the course, to persevere; endure to completion.
Origin:
1400–50; late Middle English staien < Anglo-French estaier, Old French estai-, stem of ester < Latin stāre to stand
1400–50; late Middle English staien < Anglo-French estaier, Old French estai-, stem of ester < Latin stāre to stand
Dictionary.com Unabridged
noun
1.
something used to support or steady a thing; prop; brace.
2.
a flat strip of steel, plastic, etc., used especially for stiffening corsets, collars, etc.
3.
a long rod running between opposite walls, heads or sides of a furnace, boiler, tank, or the like, to strengthen them against internal pressures.
4.
stays, Chiefly British. a corset.
verb (used with object)
5.
to support, prop, or hold up (sometimes followed by up ).
6.
to sustain or strengthen mentally or spiritually.
7.
to rest on (something, as a foundation or base) for support.
8.
to cause something to become fixed or to rest on (a support, foundation, base, etc.)
noun
1.
any of various strong ropes or wires for steadying masts, funnels, etc.
verb (used with object)
2.
to support or secure with a stay or stays: to stay a mast.
3.
to put (a ship) on the other tack.
verb (used without object)
Idioms 4.
(of a ship) to change to the other tack.
5.
in stays, (of a fore-and-aft-rigged vessel) heading into the wind with sails shaking, as in coming about.
Origin:
before 1150; Middle English stey(e), Old English stæg; cognate with German Stag
before 1150; Middle English stey(e), Old English stæg; cognate with German Stag
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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|
Link To stay
Collins
World English Dictionary
stay1 (steɪ) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —vb (often foll by at) (; usually foll by with) | |
| 1. | (intr) to continue or remain in a certain place, position, etc: to stay outside |
| 2. | (copula) to continue to be; remain: to stay awake |
| 3. | to reside temporarily, esp as a guest: to stay at a hotel |
| 4. | (tr) to remain for a specified period: to stay the weekend |
| 5. | (Scot), (South African) (intr) to reside permanently or habitually; live |
| 6. | archaic to stop or cause to stop |
| 7. | (intr) to wait, pause, or tarry |
| 8. | (tr) to delay or hinder |
| 9. | (tr) |
| a. to discontinue or suspend (a judicial proceeding) | |
| b. to hold in abeyance or restrain from enforcing (an order, decree, etc) | |
| 10. | to endure (something testing or difficult, such as a race): a horse that stays the course |
| 11. | to keep pace (with a competitor in a race, etc) |
| 12. | (intr) poker to raise one's stakes enough to stay in a round |
| 13. | (tr) to hold back or restrain: to stay one's anger |
| 14. | (tr) to satisfy or appease (an appetite, etc) temporarily |
| 15. | archaic (tr) to quell or suppress |
| 16. | archaic (intr) to stand firm |
| 17. | stay put See put |
| —n | |
| 18. | the act of staying or sojourning in a place or the period during which one stays |
| 19. | the act of stopping or restraining or state of being stopped, etc |
| 20. | the suspension of a judicial proceeding, etc: stay of execution |
| [C15 staien, from Anglo-French estaier, to stay, from Old French ester to stay, from Latin stāre to stand] | |
| stay2 (steɪ) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | anything that supports or steadies, such as a prop or buttress |
| 2. | a thin strip of metal, plastic, bone, etc, used to stiffen corsets, etc |
| —vb (foll by on | |
| 3. | ( |
| 4. | ( |
| 5. | to cause to rely or depend |
| [C16: from Old French estaye, of Germanic origin; compare | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
stay
"to remain," 1440, from M.Fr. estai-, stem of ester "to stay or stand," from O.Fr., from L. stare "to stand" (cf. It. stare, Sp. estar "to stand, to be"), from PIE base *sta- "to stand" (see stet). Originally "come to a halt;" sense of "remain" is first recorded 1575. Noun
senses of "appliance for stopping," "period of remaining in a place," and (judicial) "suspension of proceeding" all developed 1525-1550. Stay-at-home (adj.) is from 1806. Stay put is first recorded 1843, Amer.Eng. Phrase stay the course is originally (1885) in ref. to horses holding out till the end of a race.
stay
"support, prop, brace," c.1515, from M.Fr. estaie "piece of wood used as a support," perhaps from Frank. *staka "support," from P.Gmc. *stagaz (cf. M.Du. stake "stick," O.E. steli "steel" stæg "rope used to support a mast"), from PIE *stak- (see stay (n.2)). If not, then
from the root of stay (v.). Stays "laced underbodice" is attested from 1608.
stay
"strong rope which supports a ship's mast," from O.E. stæg, from P.Gmc. *stagan (cf. Du. stag, Low Ger. stach, Ger. Stag, O.N. stag), from PIE *stak-, ult. an extended form of base *sta- "to stand" (see stet). The verb meaning "secure or steady with stays" is first recorded 1627.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
stay
In addition to the idioms beginning with stay, also see here to stay; (stay) in touch; (stay on one's) right side; should have stood (stayed) in bed; stick (stay) with.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Example sentences
But it remains to be seen if that moratorium will hold and stay in place.
After all, there is plenty of junk in orbit, and it can't stay up there forever.
The rapidly shifting landscape makes it tough to keep up with change and innovation, let alone stay ahead of the curve.
But if you plan on doing anything besides skiing, it's more fun to stay in town.
Idioms & Phrases
Nearby Words
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