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   stay

   /steɪ/

   verb

   • 1. remain in the same place: "you stay here and I'll be back soon"
   • ▪ delay leaving so as to join in (an activity): "why not stay to lunch?"
   • 2. remain in a specified state or position: "her ability to stay calm" Similar remain (behind)stay behindstay putwaitwait aroundlingerstickcontinuebe lefthold onhang onlodgerestdelaypausestopinformal:hang around/roundhang aboutarchaic:bidetarrycontinue to beremainkeepcontinuepersist in beingcarry on beinggo on beingrestOpposite leave
   • 3. (of a person) live somewhere temporarily as a visitor or guest: "the girls had gone to stay with friends"
   • ▪ live permanently: Scottish, South African "where do you stay?"
   • 4. stop, delay, or prevent (something), in particular suspend or postpone (judicial proceedings) or refrain from pressing (charges): "there are some cases the Crown feels so serious they don't want to stay the charges" Similar postponeput offdelaydeferput backhold over/offcarry overrescheduledo latershelvestand overpigeonholeput/hold in abeyancemothballadjournsuspendprorogueput off the evil day/hourput overtablelay on the tabletake a rain check oncontinueinformal:put on iceput on the back burnerput in cold storagerare:remitrespitedelayslow downslow uphold backset backkeep backhold uppostponeput backdetaindecelerateput a brake onretardhinderhamperobstructinhibitimpedehandicaphamstringcurbcheckrestrainrestrictarrestinterfere withinterruptencumbercloginformal:throw a spanner in the works ofthrow a monkey wrench in the works ofrare:trammelcumberOpposite advancepromote
   • ▪ assuage (hunger) for a short time: "I grabbed something to stay the pangs of hunger"
   • ▪ curb; check: literary "he tries to stay the destructive course of barbarism"
   • ▪ wait a moment in order to allow someone time to think or speak: archaic "stay, stand apart, I know not which is which"
   • 5. support or prop up: literary "it did not matter to you whether the building was stayed up or not?"

   noun

   • 1. a period of staying somewhere, in particular of living somewhere temporarily as a visitor or guest: "an overnight stay at a luxury hotel" Similar visitstopstop-offstopoverbreakrestholidayminibreakvacationformal:sojourn
   • 2. a curb or check: literary "there is likely to be a good public library as a stay against boredom"
   • ▪ a suspension or postponement of judicial proceedings: "a stay of prosecution" Similar postponementputting offdelaydefermentdeferralputting backcarrying overreschedulingshelvingpigeonholingmothballingadjournmentsuspensionprorogationtabling
   • 3. a device used as a brace or support.
   • ▪ a corset made of two pieces laced together and stiffened by strips of whalebone. historical
   • 4. power of endurance: archaic "some men are always great at beginnings; but they have no stay in them"

   Word Origin late Middle English (as a verb): from Anglo-Norman French estai-, stem of Old French ester, from Latin stare ‘to stand’; in the sense ‘support’ (stay1 (sense 5 of the verb) and stay1 (sense 3 of the noun)), partly from Old French estaye (noun), estayer (verb), of Germanic origin.

   Scrabble Points: 7

   • S

     1

   • T

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   • A

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   • Y

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