The difference between Serve and Stay

When used as nouns, serve means an act of putting the ball or shuttlecock in play in various games, whereas stay means continuance or a period of time spent in a place.

When used as verbs, serve means to be a formal servant for (a god or deity), whereas stay means to prop.

Stay is also adverb with the meaning: steeply.

Stay is also adjective with the meaning: steep.

check bellow for the other definitions of Serve and Stay

  1. Serve as a noun (sports):

    An act of putting the ball or shuttlecock in play in various games.

    Examples:

    "Whose serve is it?"

  2. Serve as a noun (chiefly, Australia):

    A portion of food or drink, a serving.

  1. Serve as a verb (personal):

    To be a formal servant for (a god or deity); to worship in an official capacity. To be a servant for; to work for, to be employed by. To wait upon (someone) at table; to set food and drink in front of, to help (someone) to food, meals etc. To be a servant or worker; to perform the duties of a servant or employee; to render service. To set down (food or drink) on the table to be eaten; to bring (food, drink) to a person.

  2. Serve as a verb (transitive, archaic):

    To treat (someone) in a given manner.

  3. Serve as a verb (transitive, archaic):

    To be suitor to; to be the lover of.

  4. Serve as a verb (transitive):

    To be useful to; to meet the needs of. To have a given use or purpose; to function something or to do something. To usefully take the place , of something else.

  5. Serve as a verb (transitive, legal):

    To officially deliver (a legal notice, summons etc.). To make legal service upon (a person named in a writ, summons, etc.)

    Examples:

    "to serve a witness with a subpoena"

  6. Serve as a verb (transitive, intransitive, sports):

    To lead off with the first delivery over the net in tennis, volleyball, ping pong, badminton etc.

  7. Serve as a verb (transitive):

    To copulate with (of male animals); to cover.

  8. Serve as a verb (intransitive):

    To be in military service.

  9. Serve as a verb (transitive, military):

    To work, to operate (a weapon).

  10. Serve as a verb (transitive):

    To work through (a given period of time in prison, a sentence).

  11. Serve as a verb (nautical):

    To wind spun yarn etc. tightly around (a rope or cable, etc.) so as to protect it from chafing or from the weather.

  12. Serve as a verb:

    To perform a public obligation.

    Examples:

    "I've received a summons for jury duty. It says I serve one day or one trial."

  1. Stay as a verb (transitive):

    To prop; support; sustain; hold up; steady.

  2. Stay as a verb (transitive):

    To support from sinking; to sustain with strength; to satisfy in part or for the time.

  3. Stay as a verb (transitive):

    To stop; detain; keep back; delay; hinder.

  4. Stay as a verb (transitive):

    To restrain; withhold; check; stop.

  5. Stay as a verb (transitive):

    To cause to cease; to put an end to.

  6. Stay as a verb (transitive):

    To put off; defer; postpone; delay; keep back.

    Examples:

    "The governor stayed the execution until the appeal could be heard."

  7. Stay as a verb (transitive):

    To hold the attention of.

  8. Stay as a verb (transitive, obsolete):

    To bear up under; to endure; to hold out against; to resist.

  9. Stay as a verb (transitive, obsolete):

    To wait for; await.

  10. Stay as a verb (transitive, obsolete):

    To remain for the purpose of; to wait for.

  11. Stay as a verb (intransitive, obsolete):

    To rest; depend; rely.

  12. Stay as a verb (intransitive, obsolete):

    To stop; come to a stand or standstill.

  13. Stay as a verb (intransitive, archaic):

    To come to an end; cease.

    Examples:

    "That day the storm stayed."

  14. Stay as a verb (intransitive, archaic):

    To dwell; linger; tarry; wait.

  15. Stay as a verb (intransitive, dated):

    To make a stand; to stand firm.

  16. Stay as a verb (intransitive, obsolete):

    To hold out, as in a race or contest; last or persevere to the end.

    Examples:

    "That horse stays well."

  17. Stay as a verb (intransitive):

    To remain in a particular place, especially for a definite or short period of time; sojourn; abide.

    Examples:

    "We stayed in Hawaii for a week.  I can only stay for an hour."

  18. Stay as a verb (intransitive, obsolete):

    To wait; rest in patience or expectation.

  19. Stay as a verb (intransitive, obsolete, used with ''on'' or ''upon''):

    To wait as an attendant; give ceremonious or submissive attendance.

  20. Stay as a verb (intransitive):

    To continue to have a particular quality.

    Examples:

    "Wear gloves so your hands stay warm."

  21. Stay as a verb (intransitive, US South, AAVE, colloquial, non-standard):

    To live; reside

    Examples:

    "Hey, where do you stay at?"

  1. Stay as a noun:

    Continuance or a period of time spent in a place; abode for an indefinite time; sojourn.

    Examples:

    "I hope you enjoyed your stay in Hawaii."

  2. Stay as a noun:

    A postponement, especially of an execution or other punishment.

    Examples:

    "The governor granted a stay of execution."

  3. Stay as a noun (archaic):

    A stop; a halt; a break or cessation of action, motion, or progress.

    Examples:

    "stand at a stay"

  4. Stay as a noun:

    A fixed state; fixedness; stability; permanence.

  5. Stay as a noun (nautical):

    A station or fixed anchorage for vessels.

  6. Stay as a noun:

    Restraint of passion; prudence; moderation; caution; steadiness; sobriety.

  7. Stay as a noun (obsolete):

    Hindrance; let; check.

  1. Stay as a noun:

    A prop; a support.

  2. Stay as a noun:

    A piece of stiff material, such as plastic or whalebone, used to stiffen a piece of clothing.

    Examples:

    "Where are the stays for my collar?"

  3. Stay as a noun:

    (plural) A corset

  4. Stay as a noun (archaic):

    A fastening for a garment; a hook; a clasp; anything to hang another thing on.

  1. Stay as a noun (nautical):

    A strong rope supporting a mast, and leading from one masthead down to some other, or other part of the vessel.

  2. Stay as a noun:

    A guy, rope, or wire supporting or stabilizing a platform, such as a bridge, a pole, such as a tentpole, the mast of a derrick, or other structural element.

    Examples:

    "The engineer insisted on using stays for the scaffolding."

  3. Stay as a noun (chain-cable):

    The transverse piece in a link.

  1. Stay as a verb:

    To brace or support with a stay or stays

    Examples:

    "stay a mast"

  2. Stay as a verb (transitive, nautical):

    To incline forward, aft, or to one side by means of stays.

  3. Stay as a verb (transitive, nautical):

    To tack; put on the other tack.

    Examples:

    "to stay ship"

  4. Stay as a verb (intransitive, nautical):

    To change; tack; go about; be in stays, as a ship.

  1. Stay as an adjective (UK, _, dialectal):

    Steep; ascending.

  2. Stay as an adjective (UK, _, dialectal):

    Steeply pitched.

  3. Stay as an adjective (UK, _, dialectal):

    Difficult to negotiate; not easy to access; sheer.

  4. Stay as an adjective (UK, _, dialectal):

    Stiff; upright; unbending; reserved; haughty; proud.

  1. Stay as an adverb (UK, _, dialectal):

    Steeply.

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