stay

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Chief Justice Roberts rejected the government's view that an alien's petition for a stay was the same as a request for an injunction.

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Definitions (115)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (31)

  1. intransitive verb To continue to be in a place or condition: stay home; stay calm.
  2. intransitive verb To remain or sojourn as a guest or lodger: stayed at a motel.
  3. intransitive verb To stop moving; halt.
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Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (64)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (4)

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Examples (50)

  • Then one of the monks said to Mochuda, “If you remain in this place till the feast ends your stay will be a long one for it (the entertainment) grows no smaller for all the consumption.” “That is true, brother,” said Mochuda, “and it is fitting for us to depart now.” They started therefore on their way and Mochua Mianain gave himself and his place to God and Mochuda for ever. —  Lives of SS. Declan and Mochuda
  • In vain did the Tretheways explain that the object of the stay was a visit by special bus to a historic Abbey six miles out of Tollardwark. —  Clutch of Constables—Ngaio Marsh—Roderick Allyn 25
  • More than once I have seen tears streaming from the eyes of the Northern visitors, and then, almost in a moment, the same faces wreathed in smiles at some farce in giving out the notices or in taking up the collections A charming episode in this Florida stay was an excursion up the St. John's River, through beautiful semi-tropical vegetation. —  Autobiography of Andrew Dickson White, V2
  • But perhaps the most curious experience of our stay was an attendance upon a political meeting at Glastonbury, in the Gladstonian interest. —  Autobiography of Andrew Dickson White, V2
  • The best things during my stay were my walks and talks with Lord Acton, who was full of information at first hand regarding Gladstone and other leaders both in England and on the Continent. —  Autobiography of Andrew Dickson White, V2
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Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Allen's Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

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Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

sojourn ·  wait ·  visit ·  residence ·  sober ·  go ·  take ·  keep ·  try ·  vacation ·  give ·  respectable

Used in the same contextWord Family

stay:   staid ·  stayed ·  staying ·  stays
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (7)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (3)

  1. Middle English steien, from Old French ester, esteir, from Latin stāre; see stā- in Indo-European roots.
  2. Middle English staien, from Old French estaiier, from estaie, a support, of Germanic origin.
  3. Middle English, from Old English stæg.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (4)

  1. from Middle English *stay, from Anglo-Saxon stæg = D. G. Icelandic Danish Swedish stag, a stay (in nautical sense); cf. Old French estay, French étai = Spanish estay = Portuguese estay, estai (plural estacs), also ostais, a stay (from Teutonic); origin uncertain; by some supposed to be named from being used to climb up by, being derived, in this view, like stair, stile, stag, etc., from the root of Anglo-Saxon stīgan (preterit stāh) = Dutch stijgen = German steigen, etc., climb, ascend: see sty. The word has been confused with stay, a prop, etc.
  2. from stay, n.
  3. from Middle English *staye, from Old French estaie, estaye, feminine, P. étai, masculine, a prop, stay, from Middle Dutch staeye, later Stacy, a prop, stay, also a contracted form of staede, stade, a prop, stay, help, aid; cf. Dutch stede, steê, a place. = Anglo-Saxon stede, English stead, a place: see stead, and cf. stathe. The word stay has been confused to some extent with stay. The noun is by some derived from the verb. In the later senses it is so derived: see stay, p.
  4. from Middle English *stayen, steyen (past participle staid), from Old French estayer, French étayer, prop, stay, from estaye, a prop, stay: see stay, n. By some derived from Old French esteir, ester, estre, French être, be, remain, continue; but this derivation is on both phonetic and historical grounds untenable. There is a connection felt between stay and stand; it is, however, very remote.
 

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