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Consult Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, The Chambers Thesaurus (1996) or Chambers Biographical Dictionary (1997 edition with amendments). Enter your search and choose your title from the drop-down menu.
stay1 verb (stayed, staying) 1 intrans to remain in the same place or condition, without moving or changing. 2 a intrans to reside temporarily, eg as a guest; b Scot, intrans to live permanently • She's stayed in Edinburgh all her life. 3 to suspend or postpone (eg legal proceedings). 4 to control or restrain (eg anger). noun 1 a period of temporary residence; a visit. 2 a suspension of legal proceedings or a postponement of a legally enforceable punishment • grant a stay of execution. be here to stay to be established as a permanent feature • looks like virtual reality's here to stay. stay put colloq to remain in the same place. stay still to refrain from moving. stay the course to have the stamina for something demanding • The job's really stressful - I doubt if she can stay the course.
ETYMOLOGY: 15c: from Latin stare to stand.
stay away from someone or something to keep some distance from them or it • I'd stay away from her - she's nothing but trouble. stay for something to remain for (a specified time or event). stay in to remain indoors, especially as opposed to going out socially. stay on to remain after the expected time for leaving. stay out to be away from home. stay over colloq to spend the night. stay to something to remain long enough to take part in it • Can you stay to tea? stay up to remain out of bed, especially beyond one's usual bedtime. stay with something to persevere with it. |
stay2 noun 1 a prop or support. 2 any of a number of strips of bone or metal sewn into a corset to stiffen it. 3 (stays) a corset stiffened in this way.
ETYMOLOGY: 16c: from French estaye, from estayer to stay.
stay3 noun a rope or cable that is used for anchoring something, eg a flagpole, mast, etc, and to keep it upright.
ETYMOLOGY: Anglo-Saxon stæg.
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The Chambers Dictionary (13th edition)
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Chambers Biographical Dictionary
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Consult Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, The Chambers Thesaurus (1996) or Chambers Biographical Dictionary (1997 edition with amendments). Enter your search and choose your title from the drop-down menu.
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