stay

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English [edit]

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Pronunciation [edit]

Etymology 1 [edit]

From Middle English *stay, from Old English stæġ (“stay, a rope supporting a mast”), from Proto-Germanic *stagą (“stay, rope”), from Proto-Indo-European *stek-, *stāk- (“stand, pole”), from Proto-Indo-European *stā- (“to stand”). Cognate with Dutch stag (“stay”), German Stag (“stay”), Swedish stag (“stay”), Icelandic stag (“stay”).

Noun [edit]

stay (plural stays)

  1. (nautical) A strong rope supporting a mast, and leading from the head of one mast down to some other, or other part of the vessel.
  2. A guy, rope, or wire supporting or stabilizing a platform, such as a bridge, a pole, such as a tentpole, the mast of a derrick, or other structural element.
    The engineer insisted on using stays for the scaffolding.
  3. (chain-cable) The transverse piece in a link.
Synonyms [edit]
Derived terms [edit]
Translations [edit]
supporting rope or wire

Verb [edit]

stay (third-person singular simple present stays, present participle staying, simple past and past participle stayed)

  1. (transitive, nautical) To incline forward, aft, or to one side by means of stays.
    stay a mast
  2. (transitive, nautical) To tack; put on the other tack.
    to stay ship
  3. (intransitive, nautical) To change; tack; go about; be in stays, as a ship.

Etymology 2 [edit]

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 Old Dutch *stad (“a site, place, location, standing”), from Proto-Germanic *stadiz (“a standing, place”), from Proto-Indo-European *stā- (“to stand”). Influenced by Old English stæġ ("a stay, rope"; see above). Cognate with Old English stede, stæde (“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.

Sense of "remain, continue" may be due to later influence from Old French ester, esteir (“to stand, be, continue, remain”), from Latin stāre (“stand”), from the same Proto-Indo-European root above; however, derivation from this root is untenable based on linguistic and historical grounds[1].

An alternative etymology derives Old French estaye, estaie, from Old Frankish *staka (“stake, post”), from Proto-Germanic *stakô (“stake, bar, stick, pole”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)teg- (“rod, pole, stick”), making it cognate with Old English staca (“pin, stake”), Old English stician (“to stick, be placed, lie, remain fixed”). Cognate with Albanian shtagë (“a long stick, a pole”). More at stake, stick.

Verb [edit]

stay (third-person singular simple present stays, present participle staying, simple past and past participle stayed)

  1. (transitive) To prop; support; sustain; hold up; steady.
  2. (transitive) To stop; detain; keep back; delay; hinder.
    Your ships are stay'd at Venice — Shakespeare.
  3. (transitive) To restrain; withhold; check; stop.
  4. (transitive) To put off; defer; postpone; delay; keep back.
    The governor stayed the execution until the appeal could be heard.
  5. (transitive) To hold the attention of.
  6. (transitive) To bear; brook; undergo; abide; stand; hold out through or during.
  7. (transitive) To wait for; await.
  8. (intransitive) To rest; depend; rely.
    Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon. — Isaiah 30:12, King James Bible.
  9. (intransitive) To stop; come to a stand or standstill.
  10. (intransitive) To come to an end; cease; blin.
  11. (intransitive) To delay; linger; tarry; wait.
  12. (intransitive) To make a stand; stand.
  13. (intransitive) To hold out, as in a race or contest; last or persevere to the end.
  14. (intransitive) To remain in a particular place, especially for an indefinite time; sojourn; abide.
    We stayed in Hawaii for a week.
    I can only stay for an hour.
  15. (intransitive) To wait; rest in patience or expectation.
  16. (intransitive, used with on or upon) To wait as an attendant; give ceremonious or submissive attendance.
  17. (intransitive) To continue to have a particular quality.
    Wear gloves so your hands stay warm.
Derived terms [edit]
derived from the verb "stay"
Translations [edit]
To remain in a particular place
To continue to have a particular quality
To postpone
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked

References [edit]

  1. ^ Whitney, Century Dictionary and Encyclopedia, stay.

Etymology 3 [edit]

From Middle English *staye, from Old French estaye, estaie (“a prop, a 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 Old Dutch *stad (“a site, place, location, standing”), from Proto-Germanic *stadiz (“a standing, place”), from Proto-Indo-European *stā- (“to stand”). See above.

Noun [edit]

stay (plural stays)

  1. A prop; a support.
    • Milton
      My only strength and stay.
    • Addison
      Trees serve as so many stays for their vines.
    • Coleridge
      Lord Liverpool is the single stay of this ministry.
  2. (archaic) A fastening for a garment; a hook; a clasp; anything to hang another thing on.
  3. That which holds or restrains; obstacle; check; hindrance; restraint.
  4. A stop; a halt; a break or cessation of action, motion, or progress.
    • Milton
      Made of sphere metal, never to decay / Until his revolution was at stay.
    • Hayward
      Affairs of state seemed rather to stand at a stay.
  5. A postponement, especially of an execution or other punishment.
    The governor granted a stay of execution.
  6. (archaic) A standstill; a state of rest; entire cessation of motion or progress.
    stand at a stay
  7. A fixed state; fixedness; stability; permanence.
  8. Continuance or a period of time spent in a place; abode for an indefinite time; sojourn.
    I hope you enjoyed your stay in Hawaii.
  9. (nautical) A station or fixed anchorage for vessels.
  10. Restraint of passion; prudence; moderation; caution; steadiness; sobriety.
  11. A piece of stiff material, such as plastic or whalebone, used to stiffen a piece of clothing.
    Where are the stays for my collar?
  12. (obsolete) Hindrance; let; check.
    • Robynson (More's Utopia)
      They were able to read good authors without any stay, if the book were not false.
  13. Restraint of passion; moderation; caution; steadiness; sobriety.
    • Herbert
      Not grudging that thy lust hath bounds and stays.
    • Francis Bacon
      The wisdom, stay, and moderation of the king.
    • Philips
      With prudent stay he long deferred / The rough contention.
Derived terms [edit]
Translations [edit]
postponement
holiday or temporary residence

Etymology 4 [edit]

From Middle English *steȝe, from Old English *stǣġe, an apocopated variant of Old English stǣġel (“steep, abrupt”), from Proto-Germanic *staigilaz (“climbing, ascending, sloping, steep”), see sty.

Alternative forms [edit]

Adjective [edit]

stay (comparative stayer or more stay, superlative stayest or most stay)

  1. (UK dialectal) Steep; ascending.
  2. (UK dialectal) (of a roof) Steeply pitched.
  3. (UK dialectal) Difficult to negotiate; not easy to access; sheer.
  4. (UK dialectal) Stiff; upright; unbending; reserved; haughty; proud.

Adverb [edit]

stay (comparative staylier or more stay, superlative stayliest or most stay)

  1. (UK dialectal) Steeply.

Statistics [edit]

Anagrams [edit]

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