stay1

 
Pronunciation: /steɪ/

verb

  • 1 [no object, usually with adverbial] remain in the same place: you stay here and I’ll be back soon Jenny decided to stay at home with their young child he stayed with the firm as a consultant
  • (stay for/to) delay leaving so as to join in (an activity): why not stay to lunch?
  • 2 [no object, with complement or adverbial] remain in a specified state or position: her ability to stay calm tactics used to stay in power I managed to stay out of trouble
  • 3 [no object] (of a person) live somewhere temporarily as a visitor or guest: the girls had gone to stay with friends Minton invited him to stay the night
  • Scottish & South African live permanently: where do you stay?
  • 4 [with object] stop, delay, or prevent (something), in particular suspend or postpone (judicial proceedings) or refrain from pressing (charges): there are some cases the Crown feels so serious they don’t want to stay the charges
  • assuage (hunger) for a short time: I grabbed something to stay the pangs of hunger
  • literary curb; check: he tries to stay the destructive course of barbarism
  • [no object, in imperative] archaic wait a moment in order to allow someone time to think or speak: stay, stand apart, I know not which is which
  • 5 [with object] literary support or prop up: it did not matter to you whether the building was stayed up or not?

noun

  • 1a period of staying somewhere, in particular of living somewhere temporarily as a visitor or guest: an overnight stay at a luxury hotel
  • 2 literary a curb or check: there is likely to be a good public library as a stay against boredom
  • Law a suspension or postponement of judicial proceedings: a stay of prosecution
  • 3a device used as a brace or support.
  • (stays) historical a corset made of two pieces laced together and stiffened by strips of whalebone.
  • 4 [mass noun] archaic power of endurance: some men are always great at beginnings; but they have no stay in them

Phrases

be here (or have come) to stay

informal be permanent or widely accepted: the private sector is here to stay and likely to expand

stay the course (or distance)

keep going strongly to the end of a race or contest: critics predicted the car could not stay the distance
pursue a difficult task to the end: success in small businesses requires determination to stay the course

stay of execution

a delay in carrying out a court order: the prisoner was granted a stay of execution by the Supreme Court

stay put

remain somewhere without moving or being moved: she told Clarissa to stay put

stay well

South African said as an expression of good wishes by a person leaving.

Phrasal Verbs

stay behind

remain in a classroom or school at the end of teaching, especially to receive punishment: please stay behind after class - I would like to talk to you regarding your lateness

stay on

continue to study, work, or be somewhere after others have left: 75 per cent of sixteen-year-olds stay on in full-time education

stay over

(of a guest or visitor) sleep somewhere, especially at someone’s home, for the night: children stay over at each other’s houses more often than they did

stay up

not go to bed: they stayed up all night

stay with

  • 1remain in the mind or memory of: Gary’s words stayed with her all evening
  • 2continue or persevere with (an activity or task): the incentive needed to stay with a healthy diet
  • 3(of a competitor or player) keep up with (another) during a race or match: Smith is so quick that an offensive tackle can’t stay with him

Origin:

late Middle English (as a verb): from Anglo-Norman French estai-, stem of Old French ester, from Latin stare 'to stand'; in the sense 'support' (stay1 (sense 5 of the verb) and stay1 (sense 3 of the noun)), partly from Old French estaye (noun), estayer (verb), of Germanic origin