stay

1
[ stey ]
/ steɪ /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR stay ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object), stayed or staid, stay·ing.

verb (used with object), stayed or staid, stay·ing.

noun

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body of land completely surrounded by water
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long mournful cry
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Idioms for stay

    stay the course, to persevere; endure to completion.

Origin of stay

1
1400–50; late Middle English staien < Anglo-French estaier, Old French estai-, stem of ester < Latin stāre to stand

Words nearby stay

stave off, staves, stavesacre, stavropol, staw, stay, stay out, stay over, stay put, stay stitching, stay the course
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to stay the course

proceed, pursue, endure, persist, maintain, tolerate, continue, abide, take, toil, brook, accept, countenance, permit, condone, remain, submit, stomach, undergo, bear

British Dictionary definitions for stay the course (1 of 3)

stay1
/ (steɪ) /

verb

noun

See also stay out

Word Origin for stay

C15 staien, from Anglo-French estaier, to stay, from Old French ester to stay, from Latin stāre to stand

British Dictionary definitions for stay the course (2 of 3)

stay2
/ (steɪ) /

noun

anything that supports or steadies, such as a prop or buttress
a thin strip of metal, plastic, bone, etc, used to stiffen corsets, etc

verb (tr) archaic

(often foll by up) to prop or hold
(often foll by up) to comfort or sustain
(foll by on or upon) to cause to rely or depend
See also stays (def. 1)

Word Origin for stay

C16: from Old French estaye, of Germanic origin; compare stay ³

British Dictionary definitions for stay the course (3 of 3)

stay3
/ (steɪ) /

noun

a rope, cable, or chain, usually one of a set, used for bracing uprights, such as masts, funnels, flagpoles, chimneys, etc; guySee also stays (def. 2), stays (def. 3)

Word Origin for stay

Old English stæg; related to Old Norse stag, Middle Low German stach, Norwegian stagle wooden post
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with stay the course (1 of 2)

stay the course

Hold or persevere to the end, as in No, he's not resigning; he's going to stay the course. This metaphoric expression, alluding to a horse running an entire race, was first recorded in 1916.

Idioms and Phrases with stay the course (2 of 2)

stay
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.