Pa. t. and pa. pple. stayed. Also 6 stey, staie, staye. [a. OF. estayer (mod.F. étayer) to prop up, prob. an extended use of the nautical verb estayer (mod.F. étayer) = STAY v.3]
1. trans. To support, sustain, hold up (a person or thing). Const. on, upon, † unto. Now somewhat rare exc. in technical use (see 4).
1548. Cooper, Elyot’s Dict. Canalicula & Canaliculus, a littell pype, or a lyttell splente to staie a broken fynger.
1550. T. Lever, Serm. (Arb.), 135. Beware therefore that ye staye not your selfe vnto a bryttell staffe.
1572. Mascall, Plant. & Graff. (1592), 35. When those Cions shall put foorth a fayre wood, ye must binde and staye them in the middest … with small wands.
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 150. The common wealth leaneth and stayeth it selfe vpon your shoulders.
1578. Banister, Hist. Man, IV. 47. Moreouer they [the muscles] are mad to stay the eyes.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. vi. 35. And in his hand a Iacobs staffe, to stay His wearie limbes vpon.
1607. Rowlands, Famous Hist., 69. He sits him sadly down, And on his bending knees his elbow stays.
a. 1630. J. Taylor (Water P.), Wks., II. 175/2. A Water-man many times hath his Soueraigne by the hand, to stay him in and out the Barge.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., II. 575. Sallows and Reeds … for Vineyards useful found, To stay thy Vines, and fence thy fruitful Ground.
1817. Keats, ‘I stood tip-toe,’ 73. Where swarms of minnows show their little heads, Staying their wavy bodies ’gainst the streams.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., I. I. ii. On this younger strength it would fain stay its decrepitude.
1870. Bryant, Iliad, XVIII. 703. The vines were stayed on rows of silver stakes.
1871. H. Yule, trans. Marco Polo, I. lxi. I. 264. He has another Palace built of cane…. It is stayed on gilt and lackered columns.
1891. Kipling, Barrack-room Ball., Eng. Flag, 48. Because on the bones of the English the English Flag is stayed.
b. transf. and fig. To support, sustain, strengthen, comfort. Now arch. (Biblical).
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 32. Thus these holy gyftes stayeth ye soule of man.
1558. Bp. Watson, Sev. Sacram., vi. 33. That our courage & strength maye bee stayed and directed to the right ende.
1560. Bible (Geneva), Song Sol. ii. 5. Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples.
1573–80. Tusser, Husb. (1878), 9. Though countrie health long staid me.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., III. xi. 23. Neither may This fire be quencht by any wit or might,… So mighty be th’ enchauntments, which the same do stay.
1612. T. Taylor, Comm. Titus i. 7 (1619), 158. Whereby Iacob in want staied his minde.
a. 1720. Sewel, Hist. Quakers (1722), 13. Yet he was stayed by a secret Belief.
1872. O. W. Holmes, Poet Breakf.-t., vii. The trust that stayed the hearts of those we loved who have gone before us.
1913. D. Bray, Life-Hist. Brāhūī, iv. 64. At her side sits some old dame, staying her with wise words of comfort.
c. with up. Now rare (arch.). Also † to stay upright.
1526. Tindale, Matt. iv. 6. With there handes they shall stey the vpp.
1535. Coverdale, Exod. xvii. 12. And Aaron & Hur stayed vp his handes.
1569. Underdowne, Heliodorus, VIII. 110 b. Cariclia … beganne to staie her vprighte.
1577. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., II. 79 b. The Vines that are yoked, or stayed vp with proppes.
1611. Bible, 1 Kings xxii. 35. The king was stayed vp in his charet against the Syrians.
1646. Gataker, Mistake Removed, 25. As a bruised staf of reed or cane, that is … unable to stay a man up and support him.
1842. Manning, Serm., I. xix. (1848), 283. He stayed them up even against themselves.
2. fig. To cause to rest on, upon or in (a firm support, base or ground); to base or ground upon, to fix or set firmly in.
1565. Shacklock, trans. Hosius’ Treat. Heresies, 51, marg. What scriptures Stenckfeld stayeth his sect vpon.
1565. J. Phillip, Patient Grissell, Pref. (Malone Soc.), 2. Historians oft in Hystories, their hole delightes haue staid To pen & paynt forth painfully, the modest liues of those, That [etc.].
1569. Spenser, Sonets, i. 14. So I … In God alone do stay my confidence.
1611. Bible, Isa. xxvi. 3. Thou wilt keepe him in perfect peace, whose minde is stayed on thee.
1850. Tennyson, In Mem., lxxx. 8. A grief as deep as life or thought, But stay’d in peace with God and man.
† b. refl. with upon: To rely or build upon, take one’s stand upon, rest or act upon; to abide by; to content oneself with. Obs.
1550. Crowley, Last Trumpet, 69. Stay thou thi selfe therfore vpon These examples comfortable.
1560. Bible (Geneva), Isa. xlviii. 2. They … staie them selues vpon the God of Israel.
1570–6. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent (1826), 333. But staying my selfe upon this generall note, I will proceede with the treatise of the place that I have taken in hand.
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., Epit. Precepts A ij. The principalls of ech Prouince, stayed themselues vpon his determination.
1709. Strype, Ann. Ref., I. v. 93. Their Adversaries stayed themselves most upon Old Councils, and the Writings of Doctors and Fathers.
† c. To settle in a strong position or secure tenure; to establish. Obs.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 394 b. Wishing, that either nation with their forces joyned together, might so stay them selves, that they should nead to be afraid of no man.
1574. Wills Northern C. (Surtees), I. 398. I will that my trewe servant will’m pateson shalbe hynd of the too hous … vnto such tym as he be stayed wth a fermhold.
3. intr. (for refl.) To stay on, upon —.
† a. To lean upon, support oneself by (a staff, etc.). Of a thing: To rest upon, be supported by.
1585. Higins, Junius’ Nomencl., 203/2. Columnæ,… the vpright postes bearing vp the windbeame, and staying vpon the transains.
1598. R. Bernard, trans. Terence, Andria, III. v. 65. Lo, what a sure speare I haue of thee, what a sure staffe to stay vpon.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1621), 69. The aforesaid undermined towre, with some part of the wall (the timber whereon it staied soon burnt) fell downe.
1681. W. Robertson, Phraseol. Gen., 1168/1. To stay or lean upon; niti, inniti, insistere.
† b. To rely upon, trust to have confidence in; to look to for help or support. Of a thing: To depend on, be vested in. Obs.
1560. Bible (Geneva), Isa. xxxi. 1. Wo vnto them that … stay vpon horses, and trust in charettes.
1587. Fleming, Contn. Holinshed, III. 976/1. The letter was to be followed, the message not to be staied on.
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., IV. i. 242. I stay heere on my bond.
1600. Rowlands, Lett. Humours Blood (1874), 99. He hath a stocke whereon his lyuing stayes, And they are Fullams and Bard quarter-trayes.
1682. Bunyan, Holy War (1905), 324. You must not dwell in, nor stay upon any thing of that which he hath in Commission to teach you.
1722. De Foe, Plague (1840), 107. My heart smote me, suggesting how much better this poor man’s foundation was, on which he stayed in the danger, than mine.
4. trans. (spec. and techn.) To support, strengthen or secure with stays. Also with up.
1556. Fabric Rolls York Minster (Surtees), 355. To Wm. Bellow and his ij workemen, in staying of the crosse & wallyng & settynge of the staires abowtt the said crosse, 10s. For staying of the owtshottis, etc. 7s. 8d. Ibid. (1568–9), 114. To Brian Daragon for making ij stayes to beare and stay uppe a gutter, 4d. Ibid. (1580–1), 118. For two longe yron gaddes for stayinge of a pynnacle of the churche, 11s.
1838. F. W. Simms, Publ. Wks. Gt. Brit., 70. The roof and sides of the box shall be stayed with copper bolts.
1849. Ruskin, Sev. Lamps, vi. § 19. 181. Watch an old building with anxious care … stay it with timber where it declines.
1869. Rankine, Machine & Hand-tools, Pl. K 1, This machine consists of two very strong cast-iron plates, well stayed and bolted together.
1887. Encycl. Brit., XXII. 498/2. The front tube-plate in which the tubes terminate … is stayed to the back tube-plate by the tubes themselves. Ibid., 499/2. The steam-dome is a cylinder 21/2 feet in diameter and 8 feet long, stayed by a central 31/2-inch rod of steel.
1898. Daily News, 10 May, 6/7. It did not matter to you whether the building was stayed up or not?
