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STAY
Pronunciation (US): | (GB): |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Continuing or remaining in a place or state
Example:
a four-month stay in bankruptcy court
Classified under:
Nouns denoting acts or actions
Hypernyms ("stay" is a kind of...):
act; deed; human action; human activity (something that people do or cause to happen)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "stay"):
sojourn; visit (a temporary stay (e.g., as a guest))
layover; stop; stopover (a brief stay in the course of a journey)
Derivation:
stay (stay the same; remain in a certain state)
stay (stay put (in a certain place))
stay (dwell)
stay (continue in a place, position, or situation)
Sense 2
Meaning:
(nautical) brace consisting of a heavy rope or wire cable used as a support for a mast or spar
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("stay" is a kind of...):
brace; bracing (a structural member used to stiffen a framework)
Domain category:
navigation; sailing; seafaring (the work of a sailor)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "stay"):
backstay (a stay that supports the back of something)
forestay (an adjustable stay from the foremast to the deck or bowsprit; controls the bending of the mast)
Sense 3
Meaning:
A thin strip of metal or bone that is used to stiffen a garment (e.g. a corset)
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("stay" is a kind of...):
slip; strip (artifact consisting of a narrow flat piece of material)
Derivation:
stay (fasten with stays)
Sense 4
Meaning:
A judicial order forbidding some action until an event occurs or the order is lifted
Example:
the Supreme Court has the power to stay an injunction pending an appeal to the whole Court
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Hypernyms ("stay" is a kind of...):
decree; edict; fiat; order; rescript (a legally binding command or decision entered on the court record (as if issued by a court or judge))
Domain category:
jurisprudence; law (the collection of rules imposed by authority)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "stay"):
stay of execution (an order whereby a judgment is precluded from being executed for a specific period of time)
Derivation:
stay (stop or halt)
stay (stop a judicial process)
Sense 5
Meaning:
The state of inactivity following an interruption
Example:
he spent the entire stop in his seat
Synonyms:
arrest; check; halt; hitch; stay; stop; stoppage
Classified under:
Nouns denoting stable states of affairs
Hypernyms ("stay" is a kind of...):
inaction; inactiveness; inactivity (the state of being inactive)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "stay"):
countercheck (a check that restrains another check)
logjam (any stoppage attributable to unusual activity)
II. (verb)
Verb forms
Present simple: I / you / we / they stay ... he / she / it staves /stays
Past participle: staid /stayed
-ing form: staying
Sense 1
Meaning:
Stay the same; remain in a certain state
Example:
The bad weather continued for another week
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
Hypernyms (to "stay" is one way to...):
be (have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun))
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "stay"):
be (to remain unmolested, undisturbed, or uninterrupted -- used only in infinitive form)
keep; stay fresh (fail to spoil or rot)
stand (remain inactive or immobile)
stay together; stick together (be loyal to one another, especially in times of trouble)
sit tight (maintain the same position; wait it out)
keep out (remain outside)
Sentence frames:
Something is ----ing PP
Something ----s Adjective/Noun
Somebody ----s Adjective
Sentence example:
John will stay angry
Antonym:
change (undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature)
Derivation:
stay (continuing or remaining in a place or state)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Example:
Please stay the bloodshed!
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
Hypernyms (to "stay" is one way to...):
check; delay; retard (slow the growth or development of)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Derivation:
stay (a judicial order forbidding some action until an event occurs or the order is lifted)
Sense 3
Meaning:
Example:
quell my hunger
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Hypernyms (to "stay" is one way to...):
conform to; fill; fit; fulfil; fulfill; meet; satisfy (fill, satisfy or meet a want or need or condtion ro restriction)
Sentence frames:
Something ----s
Something ----s somebody
Sense 4
Meaning:
Classified under:
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging
Hypernyms (to "stay" is one way to...):
fasten; fix; secure (cause to be firmly attached)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP
Derivation:
stay (a thin strip of metal or bone that is used to stiffen a garment (e.g. a corset))
Sense 5
Meaning:
Example:
Stick around and you will learn something!
Synonyms:
stay; stay put; stick; stick around
Classified under:
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming
Hypernyms (to "stay" is one way to...):
stay in place (be stationary)
Sentence frames:
Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP
Antonym:
move (change residence, affiliation, or place of employment)
Derivation:
stay (continuing or remaining in a place or state)
Sense 6
Meaning:
Example:
I had to stay at home and watch the children
Classified under:
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming
Sentence frames:
Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP
Antonym:
depart (go away or leave)
Sense 7
Meaning:
Example:
The judge stayed the execution order
Classified under:
Verbs of political and social activities and events
Hypernyms (to "stay" is one way to...):
block; halt; kibosh; stop (stop from happening or developing)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Derivation:
stay (a judicial order forbidding some action until an event occurs or the order is lifted)
Sense 8
Meaning:
Hang on during a trial of endurance
Example:
ride out the storm
Synonyms:
last out; outride; ride out; stay
Classified under:
Verbs of being, having, spatial relations
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "stay"):
outstay (surpass in staying power)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Derivation:
stayer (a person or other animal having powers of endurance or perseverance)
Sense 9
Meaning:
Example:
stay a bit longer--the day is still young
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Verbs of being, having, spatial relations
Hypernyms (to "stay" is one way to...):
continue; remain; stay; stay on (continue in a place, position, or situation)
Domain usage:
archaicism; archaism (the use of an archaic expression)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "stay"):
visit (stay with as a guest)
outstay; overstay (stay too long)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s PP
Derivation:
stay (continuing or remaining in a place or state)
Sense 10
Meaning:
Continue in a place, position, or situation
Example:
She continued as deputy mayor for another year
Synonyms:
continue; remain; stay; stay on
Classified under:
Verbs of being, having, spatial relations
Hypernyms (to "stay" is one way to...):
be (have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun))
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "stay"):
abide; bide; stay (dwell)
hold over (continue a term of office past the normal period of time)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP
Derivation:
stay (continuing or remaining in a place or state)
Sense 11
Meaning:
Example:
The hostility remained long after they made up
Synonyms:
persist; remain; stay
Classified under:
Verbs of being, having, spatial relations
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "stay"):
stick (endure)
linger (remain present although waning or gradually dying)
Sentence frames:
Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP
Context examples:
He became cat-like in his ability to stay on his feet.
(White Fang, by Jack London)
The act of staying away from people, places, and thoughts that may cause anxiety, pain, or unpleasant feelings.
(Avoidance, NCI Dictionary)
It is a form of the anticancer drug PEG-asparaginase that stays in the body longer.
(Calaspargase Pegol, NCI Dictionary)
However, if you don't treat the infection, it stays in your body.
(Chagas Disease, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
But she said she supposed that they knew the road, and would follow her, and she could not stay there all day waiting for them.
(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)
A substance the body needs in tiny amounts to grow and stay healthy.
(Micronutrient, NCI Dictionary)
The Harvilles had promised to come with her and stay at Uppercross, whenever she returned.
(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)
Begone, vile insect! Or rather, stay, that I may trample you to dust!
(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)
“Oh! No, I do not indeed. For my own pleasure, I could stay with you as long again.”
(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)
It is important that they stay on the diet for the rest of their lives.
(Phenylketonuria, NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)