Definition of stay
(Entry 1 of 6)
1 : a large strong rope usually of wire used to support a mast
2 : guy entry 2
stay
verb (1)stayed; staying; stays
Definition of stay (Entry 2 of 6)
1 : to secure upright with or as if with stays
2 : to incline (a mast) forward, aft, or to one side by the stays
: to go about : tack
stay
verb (2)Definition of stay (Entry 3 of 6)
1 : to stop going forward : pause
2 : to stop doing something : cease
3 : to continue in a place or condition : remain stayed up all night went for a short vacation but stayed on for weeks stay put till I come back
4 : to stand firm
5 : to take up residence : lodge
6 : to keep even in a contest or rivalry
stay with the leaders
7 : to call a poker bet without raising
8 obsolete : to be in waiting or attendance
1 : to wait for : await
2 : to stick or remain with (a race, a trial of endurance, etc.) to the end
—usually used in the phrase stay the course
3 : to remain during
stayed the whole time
stay
noun (2)Definition of stay (Entry 4 of 6)
1a : the action of halting : the state of being stopped
b : a stopping or suspension of procedure or execution by judicial or executive order
3 : a residence or sojourn in a place
4 : capacity for endurance
stay
noun (3)Definition of stay (Entry 5 of 6)
1 : one that serves as a prop : support
2 : a thin firm strip (as of plastic) used for stiffening a garment or part (such as a shirt collar)
3 : a corset stiffened with bones
—usually used in plural
stay
verb (3)stayed; staying; stays
Definition of stay (Entry 6 of 6)
1 : to provide physical or moral support for : sustain
2 : to fix on something as a foundation
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Test Your Vocabulary
Words of Snow and Ice Quiz
- Which of the following refers to thin, bending ice, or to the act of running over such ice?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Anagram puzzles meet word search.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
Words of Snow and Ice Quiz
A selection of words from the chillier parts of t...
Take the quizName that Thing: Toys and Games Edition
It's all fun and games until someone beats your h...
Take the quizTrue or False?
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something a...
Take the quizSCRABBLE® Sprint
SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!
Play the game
Share stay
Time Traveler for stay
The first known use of stay was before the 12th century
See more words from the same century