[stey] 
,verb, stayed or staid, stay⋅ing, noun | 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 (fol. by with or at): Please stay with the project as long as you can. |
| 4. | to keep up, as with a competitor (fol. by with). |
| 5. | Poker. to continue in a hand by matching an ante, bet, or raise. |
| 6. | to stop or halt. |
| 7. | to pause or wait, as for a moment, before proceeding or continuing; linger or tarry. |
| 8. | Archaic. to cease or desist. |
| 9. | Archaic. to stand firm. |
| 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. |
| 15. | to remain to the end of; remain beyond (usually fol. by out). |
| 16. | Archaic. to await. |
| 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. |
stay with
Remain in one's mind or memory, as in That song has stayed with me all these years. [Late 1500s]
Keep up with; also, concentrate on, continue with. For example, The runner from Kenya stayed with Mark almost to the finish line, or She has an amazing talent for staying with a problem. [Late 1800s] Also see stick with.
