Collins English-English Dictionary

stay [steɪ]

1. 1. vi. [intr] to continue or remain in a certain place, position, etc

   to stay outside

2. 2. vi. [copula] to continue to be; remain

   to stay awake

3. 3. vi. [intr; often foll by at] to reside temporarily, esp as a guest

   to stay at a hotel

4. 4. vt. [tr] to remain for a specified period

   to stay the weekend

5. 5. vi. [intr] [Scot and South African] to reside permanently or habitually; live

6. 6. vi. [archaic] to stop or cause to stop

7. 7. vi. [intr] to wait, pause, or tarry

8. 8. vt. [tr] to delay or hinder

9. 9. vt. [tr] to discontinue or suspend (a judicial proceeding)

10. 10. vt. to hold in abeyance or restrain from enforcing (an order, decree, etc)

11. 11. vt. to endure (something testing or difficult, such as a race)

    a horse that stays the course

12. 12. vi. [intr; usually foll by with] to keep pace (with a competitor in a race, etc)

13. 13. vi. [intr] [poker] to raise one's stakes enough to stay in a round

14. 14. vt. [tr] to hold back or restrain

    to stay one's anger

15. 15. vt. [tr] to satisfy or appease (an appetite, etc) temporarily

16. 16. vt. [tr] [archaic] to quell or suppress

17. 17. vi. [intr] [archaic] to stand firm

18. 18. vi. See put

19. 19. n the act of staying or sojourning in a place or the period during which one stays

20. 20. n the act of stopping or restraining or state of being stopped, etc

21. 21. n the suspension of a judicial proceeding, etc

    stay of execution

22. 22. n See also stay out

23. 23. n [Etymology] C15 staien, from Anglo-French estaier, to stay, from Old French ester to stay, from Latin stare to stand

stay [steɪ]

1. 1. n anything that supports or steadies, such as a prop or buttress

2. 2. n a thin strip of metal, plastic, bone, etc, used to stiffen corsets, etc

3. 3. vt. [tr] [archaic] [often foll by up] to prop or hold

4. 4. vt. [often foll by up] to comfort or sustain

5. 5. vt. [foll by on or upon] to cause to rely or depend

6. 6. vt. See also stays

7. 7. vt. [Etymology] C16: from Old French estaye, of Germanic origin; compare stay³

stay [steɪ]

1. 1. n a rope, cable, or chain, usually one of a set, used for bracing uprights, such as masts, funnels, flagpoles, chimneys, etc; guy

2. 2. n See also stays

3. 3. n [Etymology] Old English stæg; related to Old Norse stag, Middle Low German stach, Norwegian stagle wooden post