Stays

verb (used without object), stayed or staid, staying.
1.
to spend some time in a place, in a situation, with a person or group, etc.:
He stayed in the army for ten years.
2.
to continue to be as specified, as to condition or state:
to stay clean.
3.
to hold out or endure, as in a contest or task (followed by with or at):
Please stay with the project as long as you can.
4.
to keep up, as with a competitor (followed by with).
5.
Poker. to continue in a hand by matching an ante, bet, or raise.
6.
to stop or halt.
7.
to pause or wait, as for a moment, before proceeding or continuing; linger or tarry.
8.
Archaic. to cease or desist.
9.
Archaic. to stand firm.
verb (used with object), stayed or staid, staying.
10.
to stop or halt.
11.
to hold back, detain, or restrain, as from going further.
12.
to suspend or delay (actions, proceedings, etc.).
13.
to appease or satisfy temporarily the cravings of (the stomach, appetite, etc.).
14.
to remain through or during (a period of time):
We stayed two days in San Francisco.
15.
to remain to the end of; remain beyond (usually followed by out).
16.
Archaic. to await.
noun
17.
the act of stopping or being stopped.
18.
a stop, halt, or pause; a standstill.
19.
a sojourn or temporary residence:
a week’s stay in Miami.
20.
Law. a stoppage or arrest of action; suspension of a judicial proceeding:
The governor granted a stay of execution.
21.
Informal. staying power; endurance.
Idioms
22.
stay the course, to persevere; endure to completion.
noun
1.
something used to support or steady a thing; prop; brace.
2.
a flat strip of steel, plastic, etc., used especially for stiffening corsets, collars, etc.
3.
a long rod running between opposite walls, heads or sides of a furnace, boiler, tank, or the like, to strengthen them against internal pressures.
4.
stays, Chiefly British. a corset.
verb (used with object), stayed, staying.
5.
to support, prop, or hold up (sometimes followed by up).
6.
to sustain or strengthen mentally or spiritually.
7.
to rest on (something, as a foundation or base) for support.
8.
to cause something to become fixed or to rest on (a support, foundation, base, etc.)
noun
1.
any of various strong ropes or wires for steadying masts, funnels, etc.
verb (used with object), stayed, staying.
2.
to support or secure with a stay or stays:
to stay a mast.
3.
to put (a ship) on the other tack.
verb (used without object), stayed, staying.
4.
(of a ship) to change to the other tack.
Idioms
5.
in stays, (of a fore-and-aft-rigged vessel) heading into the wind with sails shaking, as in coming about.
plural noun
1.
(rare) corsets with bones in them
2.
a position of a sailing vessel relative to the wind so that the sails are luffing or aback Compare irons (sense 2)
3.
miss stays, refuse stays, (of a sailing vessel) to fail to come about
verb
1.
(intransitive) to continue or remain in a certain place, position, etc: to stay outside
2.
(copula) to continue to be; remain: to stay awake
3.
(intransitive) often foll by at. to reside temporarily, esp as a guest: to stay at a hotel
4.
(transitive) to remain for a specified period: to stay the weekend
5.
(intransitive) (Scot & South African) to reside permanently or habitually; live
6.
(archaic) to stop or cause to stop
7.
(intransitive) to wait, pause, or tarry
8.
(transitive) to delay or hinder
9.
(transitive)

to discontinue or suspend (a judicial proceeding)
to hold in abeyance or restrain from enforcing (an order, decree, etc)

10.
to endure (something testing or difficult, such as a race): a horse that stays the course
11.
(intransitive) ; usually foll by with. to keep pace (with a competitor in a race, etc)
12.
(intransitive) (poker) to raise one’s stakes enough to stay in a round
13.
(transitive) to hold back or restrain: to stay one’s anger
14.
(transitive) to satisfy or appease (an appetite, etc) temporarily
15.
(transitive) (archaic) to quell or suppress
16.
(intransitive) (archaic) to stand firm
17.
stay put, See put (sense 18)
noun
18.
the act of staying or sojourning in a place or the period during which one stays
19.
the act of stopping or restraining or state of being stopped, etc
20.
the suspension of a judicial proceeding, etc: stay of execution
noun
1.
anything that supports or steadies, such as a prop or buttress
2.
a thin strip of metal, plastic, bone, etc, used to stiffen corsets, etc
verb (transitive) (archaic)
3.
(often foll by up) to prop or hold
4.
(often foll by up) to comfort or sustain
5.
foll by on or upon. to cause to rely or depend
noun
1.
a rope, cable, or chain, usually one of a set, used for bracing uprights, such as masts, funnels, flagpoles, chimneys, etc; guy See also stays (sense 2), stays (sense 3)
stay