stay

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   continuing or remaining in a place or state

   they had a nice stay in Paris

2. 2
   noun

   a judicial order forbidding some action until an event occurs or the order is lifted

   the Supreme Court has the power to stay an injunction pending an appeal to the whole Court

3. 3
   verb

   stop or halt

   Please stay the bloodshed!

4. 4
   verb

   stay put (in a certain place)

   We are staying in Detroit

5. 5
   verb

   remain behind

   I had to stay at home and watch the children

6. 6
   verb

   stop a judicial process

   The judge stayed the execution order

7. 7
   verb

   dwell

   You can stay with me while you are in town

8. 8
   verb

   continue in a place, position, or situation

   After graduation, they stayed on in Cambridge as a student adviser.

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…