stay1
• verb 1 remain in the same place. 2 remain in a specified state or position. 3 live somewhere temporarily as a visitor or guest. 4 Scottish & S. African live permanently. 5 stop, delay, or prevent. 6 literary support or prop up. • noun 1 a period of staying somewhere. 2 a suspension or postponement of judicial proceedings: a stay of execution. 3 a device used as a brace or support. 4 (stays) historical a corset made of two pieces laced together and stiffened by strips of whalebone. — PHRASES stay the course (or distance) 1 keep going to the end of a race or contest. 2 pursue a difficult task or activity to the end. stay on continue to study, work, or be somewhere after others have left. stay over stay for the night as a visitor or guest. stay put remain somewhere without moving. stay up not go to bed. stay with continue, persevere, or keep up with (an activity or person). — DERIVATIVES stayer noun. — ORIGIN Old French ester, from Latin stare ‘to stand’.
Perform another search of the Compact Oxford English Dictionary
About this dictionary
The Compact Oxford English Dictionary of Current English contains 145,000 words, phrases, and definitions.
Find out more about Oxford's range of English dictionaries
Sign up for the AskOxford Word of the Day
Search the Little Oxford Dictionary of Quotations
Search the Concise Dictionary of First Names
| 
