The difference between Stay and Tarry

When used as nouns, stay means continuance or a period of time spent in a place, whereas tarry means a sojourn.

When used as verbs, stay means to prop, whereas tarry means to delay.

When used as adjectives, stay means steep, whereas tarry means resembling tar.

Stay is also adverb with the meaning: steeply.

check bellow for the other definitions of Stay and Tarry

Stay as a verb (transitive):

To prop; support; sustain; hold up; steady.
Stay as a verb (transitive):

To support from sinking; to sustain with strength; to satisfy in part or for the time.
Stay as a verb (transitive):

To stop; detain; keep back; delay; hinder.
Stay as a verb (transitive):

To restrain; withhold; check; stop.
Stay as a verb (transitive):

To cause to cease; to put an end to.
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."
Stay as a verb (transitive):

To hold the attention of.
Stay as a verb (transitive, obsolete):

To bear up under; to endure; to hold out against; to resist.
Stay as a verb (transitive, obsolete):

To wait for; await.
Stay as a verb (transitive, obsolete):

To remain for the purpose of; to wait for.
Stay as a verb (intransitive, obsolete):

To rest; depend; rely.
Stay as a verb (intransitive, obsolete):

To stop; come to a stand or standstill.
Stay as a verb (intransitive, archaic):

To come to an end; cease.

Examples:

"That day the storm stayed."
Stay as a verb (intransitive, archaic):

To dwell; linger; tarry; wait.
Stay as a verb (intransitive, dated):

To make a stand; to stand firm.
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."
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.&emsp; I can only stay for an hour."
Stay as a verb (intransitive, obsolete):

To wait; rest in patience or expectation.
Stay as a verb (intransitive, obsolete, used with ''on'' or ''upon''):

To wait as an attendant; give ceremonious or submissive attendance.
Stay as a verb (intransitive):

To continue to have a particular quality.

Examples:

"Wear gloves so your hands stay warm."
Stay as a verb (intransitive, US South, AAVE, colloquial, non-standard):

To live; reside

Examples:

"Hey, where do you stay at?"

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."
Stay as a noun:

A postponement, especially of an execution or other punishment.

Examples:

"The governor granted a stay of execution."
Stay as a noun (archaic):

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

Examples:

"stand at a stay"
Stay as a noun:

A fixed state; fixedness; stability; permanence.
Stay as a noun (nautical):

A station or fixed anchorage for vessels.
Stay as a noun:

Restraint of passion; prudence; moderation; caution; steadiness; sobriety.
Stay as a noun (obsolete):

Hindrance; let; check.

Stay as a noun:

A prop; a support.
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?"
Stay as a noun:

(plural) A corset
Stay as a noun (archaic):

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

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

The transverse piece in a link.

Stay as a verb:

To brace or support with a stay or stays

Examples:

"stay a mast"
Stay as a verb (transitive, nautical):

To incline forward, aft, or to one side by means of stays.
Stay as a verb (transitive, nautical):

To tack; put on the other tack.

Examples:

"to stay ship"
Stay as a verb (intransitive, nautical):

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

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

Steep; ascending.
Stay as an adjective (UK, _, dialectal):

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

Difficult to negotiate; not easy to access; sheer.
Stay as an adjective (UK, _, dialectal):

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

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

Steeply.

Tarry as a verb (intransitive, dated):

To delay; to be late or tardy in beginning or doing anything.

Examples:

"It is true that the Messiah will come, though he may tarry''. ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Hitchens Hitchens] quoting translated [[Maimonides]])"
Tarry as a verb (intransitive, dated):

To linger in expectation of something or until something is done or happens.
Tarry as a verb (intransitive, dated):

To abide, stay or wait somewhere, especially if longer than planned.
Tarry as a verb (intransitive, dated):

To stay somewhere temporarily; to sojourn.
Tarry as a verb (transitive, dated):

To wait for; to stay or stop for; to allow to linger.

Tarry as a noun:

A sojourn.

Tarry as an adjective:

Resembling tar.
Tarry as an adjective:

Covered with tar.

The difference between Stay and Tarry

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