/steɪ; ste/
v
1 (a) [La, I, Ipr, Ip, It, In/pr] remain or continue in the same place (for a long or short time, permanently or temporarily, as specified by the context); not depart or change 停留; 留下; 住; 在某处呆一段时间
*stay (at) home, ie not go out or to work 呆在家里
* stay late at the office 在办公室呆到很晚
* I'm afraid I can't stay, ie I must leave now. 很抱歉, 我得走了.
* stay in the house, in bed, in one's room, etc 呆在房子里、床上、房间里等
* stay in teaching, journalism, etc, ie not change one's job 继续教书、从事新闻工作等
* stay away from (ie not go to) school 不上学
* Stay on this road for two miles then turn left. 沿这条路走两英里, 然後向左拐.
* Stay here until I come back. 我回来之前你别走.
* We stayed to see what would happen. 我们留下来看进一步的发展.
* I can only stay a few minutes. 我只能呆上几分钟. => Usage at and 用法见and.
(b) [La, Ln] continue in a certain state 维持某状态
*stay awake 不睡觉
* stay single, ie not marry 不结婚
* He never stays sober for long. 他不醉的时候不多.
* They stayed friends for years. 他们的友谊维持了多年.
2 [I, Ipr, In/pr] remain or live somewhere temporarily, esp as a visitor or a guest 逗留, 暂住（尤指过访或作客时）
*It's late why don't you stay (ie for the night)? 很晚了--你就在这儿过夜好吗?
* stay in a hotel 住在旅馆里
* Why don't you come to stay with us next time you visit Durham? 下次来达勒姆就住在我们这儿好吗?
* Jenny's staying in Dublin for a few days, but she now lives/is now living (ie has her home) in Belfast. 珍妮目前在都柏林小住几日, 她的家是在贝尔法斯特.
* stay the night with sb, ie sleep at sb's house for the night 在某人家过夜.
3 [Tn] (fml 文) stop, delay, postpone or check (sth) 停止, 延缓, 推迟, 控制（某事物）
*stay (ie delay) punishment/judgement 延缓惩罚[审判]
* stay the progress of a disease 防止病情恶化
* a little food to stay (ie temporarily satisfy) one's hunger 暂且充饥的一点食物
* (arch 古) stay one's hand, ie refrain from doing sth 不去做某事.
4 [I] (arch 古) (usu imperative 通常用于祈使句) wait a moment; pause; stop 稍等; 稍停; 停下
*Stay! What is this I see? 且慢! 这是什么?
5 (idm 习语) be here to stay/have come to stay (infml 口) be permanent and generally accepted 固定下来; 普遍认可; 成为风尚
*I hope that (the idea of) equality of opportunity for men and women has come to/is here to stay. 我希望男女机会平等（的思想）能形成风气. keep/stay/steer clear => clear2. stay the `course continue going to the end (of sth difficult, eg a race, a struggle) 坚持到底
*I don't think he's sufficiently dedicated to stay the course. 我认为他不够坚定, 不会坚持到底的. stay `put (infml 口) remain where one/it is or is placed 呆在原处; 留在原地; 固定不动
*The baby wouldn't stay put long enough for the photo to be taken. 这孩子总动换, 拍不了照片.
6 (phr v) stay away (from sb/sth) keep a distance (from sb/sth); not interfere (with sb/sth) （与某人[某事物]）保持距离; 不打扰（某人[某事物]）
*Tell him to stay away from my sister! 叫他离我妹妹远点儿!

n
1 period of staying; visit 停留; 逗留; 逗留时间
*an overnight stay in Karachi 在卡拉奇过夜
* a fortnight's stay with my uncle 在叔叔家做客两星期.
2 (idm 习语) a ,stay of exe`cution (esp law 尤用于法律) (order permitting a) delay in the carrying out of a court judgement or a postponement of some (usu unpleasant) activity 缓期执行（的裁决）; 推迟进行（的命令）（通常指延迟某项令人不快的活动）
*They were due to start demolishing the old theatre today but there's been a last-minute stay of execution. 原定今天把这座旧戏院拆掉, 但临时突然决定暂缓进行.

/steɪ; ste/
n
1 [C] rope or wire supporting a mast, pole, etc （船桅、杆等的）支索.
2 [C] any prop or support 可倚靠的人或事物; 支撑物
*(fig 比喻) the stay of (ie the person who helped him in) his old age 他晚年的倚靠.
3 stays [pl] old-fashioned type of corset, stiffened with strips of bone or plastic 带撑条的旧式紧身内衣.