The noun stay has 5 senses (first 4 from tagged texts)
1. (415) stay -- (continuing or remaining in a place or state; "they had a nice stay in Paris"; "a lengthy hospital stay"; "a four-month stay in bankruptcy court")
2. (73) stay -- (a judicial order forbidding some action until an event occurs or the order is lifted; "the Supreme Court has the power to stay an injunction pending an appeal to the whole Court")
3. (5) arrest, check, halt, hitch, stay, stop, stoppage -- (the state of inactivity following an interruption; "the negotiations were in arrest"; "held them in check"; "during the halt he got some lunch"; "the momentary stay enabled him to escape the blow"; "he spent the entire stop in his seat")
4. (1) stay -- ((nautical) brace consisting of a heavy rope or wire cable used as a support for a mast or spar)
5. stay -- (a thin strip of metal or bone that is used to stiffen a garment (e.g. a corset))
Overview of verb stay
The verb stay has 11 senses (first 6 from tagged texts)
1. (43) stay, remain, rest -- (stay the same; remain in a certain state; "The dress remained wet after repeated attempts to dry it"; "rest assured"; "stay alone"; "He remained unmoved by her tears"; "The bad weather continued for another week")
2. (32) stay, stick, stick around, stay put -- (stay put (in a certain place); "We are staying in Detroit; we are not moving to Cincinnati"; "Stay put in the corner here!"; "Stick around and you will learn something!")
3. (22) bide, abide, stay -- (dwell; "You can stay with me while you are in town"; "stay a bit longer--the day is still young")
4. (17) stay, stay on, continue, remain -- (continue in a place, position, or situation; "After graduation, she stayed on in Cambridge as a student adviser"; "Stay with me, please"; "despite student protests, he remained Dean for another year"; "She continued as deputy mayor for another year")
5. (7) stay -- (remain behind; "I had to stay at home and watch the children")
6. (3) stay, detain, delay -- (stop or halt; "Please stay the bloodshed!")
7. persist, remain, stay -- (stay behind; "The smell stayed in the room"; "The hostility remained long after they made up")
8. last out, stay, ride out, outride -- (hang on during a trial of endurance; "ride out the storm")
9. stay -- (stop a judicial process; "The judge stayed the execution order")
10. stay -- (fasten with stays)
11. quell, stay, appease -- (overcome or allay; "quell my hunger")