stay
Forms
- present (v1)
- stay
- past (v2)
- stayed
- past participle (v3)
- stayed
- present participle
- staying
- 3rd person singular
- stays
- Plural
- stays
Definitions
1.To remain in a particular place, especially for a definite or short period of time; sojourn; abide.
- We stayed in Hawaii for a week. I can only stay for an hour.
- “Well,” I says, “I cal'late a body could get used to Tophet if he stayed there long enough.” ¶ She flared up; the least mite of a slam at Doctor Wool was enough to set her going.
2.To continue to have a particular quality.
- Wear gloves so your hands stay warm.
- Promise me you'll always stay/remain my little prince.
- The three men in the room stayed motionless, holding their breaths.
3.To prop; support; sustain; hold up; steady.
- Draw in your right elbow, turn your hand outward and bear it lightly, gripe not the pen too hard, with your left hand stay the paper.
4.To support from sinking; to sustain with strength; to satisfy in part or for the time.
- I would rather stay home than go out.
- I've persuaded Tom to stay in Boston until Monday.
- How long did you stay?
1.Continuance or a period of time spent in a place; abode for an indefinite time.
- I hope you enjoyed your stay in Hawaii.
2.A postponement, especially of an execution or other punishment.
- The governor granted a stay of execution.
- Later that day, however, Judge O'Kelley signed a stay of execution when Mr. Potts authorized other attorneys to renew his appeals.
- Just before the deadline Donald Kowalski's attorney, Jack Fena, was able to obtain a stay in order to give him time to file a motion to overturn the testing order.
3.A fixed state; fixedness; stability; permanence.
4.A station or fixed anchorage for vessels.
Frequency
Overall
Very common· #361
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Very common
- General reading & writing
- Very common
- Academic
- Rare
- Literature
- Common
Related words
Etymology
From Middle English steyen, staien, from Old French estayer, estaier (“to fix, prop up, support, stay”), from estaye, estaie (“a prop, stay”), from Middle Dutch staeye (“a prop, stay”), a contracted form of staede, stade (“a prop, stay, help, aid”) (compare Middle Dutch staeyen, staeden (“to make firm, stay, support, hold still, stabilise”)), from Proto-West Germanic *stadi (“a site, place, location, standing”), from Proto-Germanic *stadiz (“a standing, place”), from Proto-Indo-European *stéh₂tis (“standing”). Influenced by Old English stæġ ("a stay, rope"; see below). Cognate with Old English stede (“a place, spot, locality, fixed position, station, site, standing, status, position of a moving body, stopping, standing still, stability, fixity, firmness, steadfastness”), Swedish stödja (“to prop, support, brace, hold up, bolster”), Icelandic stöðug (“continuous, stable”). More at stead, steady.