Stay Definition
(UK dialectal) (of a roof) Steeply pitched.
(UK dialectal) Steeply.
- To remain in a fixed or established position.
- To hold out or persevere to the end of a race or challenge.
- To remain in one's memory; not be forgotten:
That kind of compliment stays with you for years.
- to remain in place or unchanged
Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Stay
- stay put
- stay the course
- stay with (one)
- in stays
- stay put
- stay the course
Origin of Stay
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From Middle English steyen, staien, from Old French estayer, estaier (“to fix, prop up, support, stay"), from estaye, estaie (“a prop, stay"), from Middle Dutch staeye (“a prop, stay"), a contracted form of staede, stade ("a prop, stay, help, aid"; compare Middle Dutch staeyen, staeden (“to make firm, stay, support, hold still, stabilise")), from Old Dutch *stad (“a site, place, location, standing"), from Proto-Germanic *stadiz (“a standing, place"), from Proto-Indo-European *stā- (“to stand"). Influenced by Old English stæġ ("a stay, rope"; see above). Cognate with Old English stede, stæde (“a place, spot, locality, fixed position, station, site, standing, status, position of a moving body, stopping, standing still, stability, fixity, firmness, steadfastness"), Swedish stödja (“to prop, support, brace, hold up, bolster"), Icelandic stöðug (“continuous, stable"). More at stead, steady.
From Wiktionary
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From Middle English *staye, from Old French estaye, estaie (“a prop, a stay"), from Middle Dutch staeye (“a prop, stay"), a contracted form of staede, stade ("a prop, stay, help, aid"; compare Middle Dutch staeyen, staeden (“to make firm, stay, support, hold still, stabilise")), from Old Dutch *stad (“a site, place, location, standing"), from Proto-Germanic *stadiz (“a standing, place"), from Proto-Indo-European *stā- (“to stand"). See above.
From Wiktionary
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An alternative etymology derives Old French estaye, estaie, from Old Frankish *staka (“stake, post"), from Proto-Germanic *stakô (“stake, bar, stick, pole"), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)teg- (“rod, pole, stick"), making it cognate with Old English staca (“pin, stake"), Old English stician (“to stick, be placed, lie, remain fixed"). Cognate with Albanian shtagë (“a long stick, a pole"). More at stake, stick.
From Wiktionary
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From Middle English *stay, from Old English stæġ (“stay, a rope supporting a mast"), from Proto-Germanic *stagÄ… (“stay, rope"), from Proto-Indo-European *stek-, *stāk- (“stand, pole"), from Proto-Indo-European *stā- (“to stand"). Cognate with Dutch stag (“stay"), German Stag (“stay"), Swedish stag (“stay"), Icelandic stag (“stay").
From Wiktionary
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Sense of "remain, continue" may be due to later influence from Old French ester, esteir (“to stand, be, continue, remain"), from Latin stāre (“stand"), from the same Proto-Indo-European root above; however, derivation from this root is untenable based on linguistic and historical grounds.
From Wiktionary
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From Middle English *steȝe, from Old English *stǣġe, an apocopated variant of Old English stǣġel (“steep, abrupt"), from Proto-Germanic *staigilaz (“climbing, ascending, sloping, steep"), see sty.
From Wiktionary
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Middle English steien from Old French ester, esteir from Latin stāre stā- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Middle English staien from Old French estaiier from estaie a support of Germanic origin
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Middle English from Old English stæg
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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