stay

1 /steI/ verb

1 IN A PLACE (I) to stop and remain in a place rather than go or leave: stay (for) an hour/a while etc: Can't you stay a little longer? | stay late: I had to stay later than planned at work. | stay here/there: Stay right there! I'll be back in a minute. | stay to dinner/stay for lunch: Can you stay for supper? | stay behind (=remain after others have gone): I stayed behind to help clean up after the party.

2 IN A POSITION (intransitive, linking verb) to continue to be in a particular position, place, or state, without changing: stay calm/quiet/warm etc: It's going to stay cold for the next few days. | You'd think he could stay sober for once.

(+ away/back/on etc): Stay away from my daughter! | Get out of this house and stay out! | You stay on this road for one mile before turning off. | stay in/out (=not leave your home, or remain away from home): I won't have you staying out on a school night. | stay up (=not go to bed): I stayed up late to watch the film. | stay in a job (=keep doing it): I don't know whether to stay in teaching or not. | stay around informal (=not leave someone): How do you know he'll stay around? | stay up/down/the same etc (=remain at the same level): House prices have stayed down for a whole year. | stay out of spoken (=not get involved): Stay out of this, Ben, it's none of your business.

3 LIVE SOMEWHERE (I) to live in a place for a while as a visitor or guest

(+ at/with): We stayed at the hotel for four nights. | My mother is staying with us this week. | stay the night/stay overnight/stay over (=stay from one evening to the next day): You can stay overnight if you don't want to drive home.

4 stay put spoken to remain in one place and not move: You stay put in the car while I run into the store!

5 be here to stay to become accepted and used by most people: Do you think computers are here to stay?

6 stay after school to remain at school after the day's classes are finished, often as a punishment

7 stay the course informal to finish something in spite of difficulties: Working in sales is very demanding and not many of our people stay the course..

8 STOP (I, T) literary to stop doing something, or stop someone from doing something

9 stay! used to tell a dog not to move

stay on phrasal verb (I) to continue to do a job or to study after the usual or expected time for leaving: “I thought your contract was done.” “It is, but I'm staying on.” 2 noun

1 (countable usually singular) a limited time of living in a place: I met her towards the end of my stay in Los Angeles. | a short stay in the hospital

2 (C, U) law the stopping or delay of an action because a judge has ordered it: stay of execution (=a delay of the punishment)

3 (C) a strong wire or rope used for supporting a ship's mast (1)

4 (C) a short piece of plastic, bone, or wire used to keep a shirt collar 1 (1) or a corset stiff

5 stays (plural) a corset