What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Stay vs Sleep - What's the difference?

stay | sleep |

In transitive terms the difference between stay and sleep

is that stay is to wait for; await while sleep is to be slumbering in (a state).

In intransitive terms the difference between stay and sleep

is that stay is to continue to have a particular quality while sleep is (Of a spinning top) to spin on its axis with no other perceptible motion.

As nouns the difference between stay and sleep

is that stay is a strong rope supporting a mast, and leading from the head of one mast down to some other, or other part of the vessel while sleep is the state of reduced consciousness during which a human or animal rests in a daily rhythm.

As verbs the difference between stay and sleep

is that stay is to incline forward, aft, or to one side by means of stays while sleep is to rest in a state of reduced consciousness.

As an adjective stay

is steep; ascending.

As an adverb stay

is steeply.

stay

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)
  • (nautical) A strong rope supporting a mast, and leading from the head of one mast down to some other, or other part of the vessel.
  • 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.
  • The engineer insisted on using stays for the scaffolding.
  • (chain-cable) The transverse piece in a link.
  • Synonyms
    *
    Derived terms
    * backstay * bobstay * forestay * jackstay * mainstay * staylace * stayless * staymaker * stayman * staysail * stayship * triatic stay

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (nautical) To incline forward, aft, or to one side by means of stays.
  • stay a mast
  • (nautical) To tack; put on the other tack.
  • to stay ship
  • (nautical) To change; tack; go about; be in stays, as a ship.
  • Etymology 2

    From (etyl) steyen, staien, from (etyl) estayer, . More at (l), (l). Sense of "remain, continue" may be due to later influence from (etyl) ester, , from the same Proto-Indo-European root above; however, derivation from this root is untenable based on linguistic and historical groundsWhitney, Century Dictionary and Encyclopedia , stay.. An alternative etymology derives (etyl) estaye, estaie, from Old (etyl) . More at (l), (l).

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To prop; support; sustain; hold up; steady.
  • To stop; detain; keep back; delay; hinder.
  • * (William Shakespeare) (c.1564–1616)
  • Your ships are stay'd at Venice.
  • * (John Evelyn) (1620-1706)
  • This business staid me in London almost a week.
  • * (John Locke) (1632-1705)
  • I was willing to stay my reader on an argument that appeared to me new.
  • * (Bible), (w) xvii. 12
  • Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side.
  • * (John Dryden) (1631-1700)
  • Sallows and reedsfor vineyards useful found / To stay thy vines.
  • To restrain; withhold; check; stop.
  • * (Richard Hooker) (1554-1600)
  • all that may stay their minds from thinking that true which they heartily wish were false
  • To put off; defer; postpone; delay; keep back.
  • To hold the attention of.
  • To bear up under; to endure; to hold out against; to resist.
  • * (William Shakespeare) (c.1564–1616)
  • She will not stay the siege of loving terms, / Nor bide the encounter of assailing eyes.
  • To wait for; await.
  • To rest; depend; rely.
  • * (w) 30:12, (w)
  • Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon.
  • * (William Shakespeare) (c.1564–1616)
  • I stay here on my bond.
  • To stop; come to a stand or standstill.
  • To come to an end; cease.
  • That day the storm stayed .
  • * (William Shakespeare) (c.1564–1616)
  • Here my commission stays .
  • To dwell; linger; tarry; wait.
  • * (John Dryden) (1631-1700)
  • I must stay a little on one action.
  • To make a stand; stand.
  • To hold out, as in a race or contest; last or persevere to the end.
  • That horse stays well.
  • To remain in a particular place, especially for an indefinite time; sojourn; abide.
  • * (Edmund Spenser) (c.1552–1599)
  • She would command the hasty sun to stay .
  • * (John Dryden) (1631-1700)
  • Stay , I command you; stay and hear me first.
  • * (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) (1807-1882)
  • I stay a little longer, as one stays / To cover up the embers that still burn.
  • * , chapter=5
  • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients , passage=“Well,” I says, “I cal'late a body could get used to Tophet if he stayed there long enough.” ¶ She flared up; the least mite of a slam at Doctor Wool was enough to set her going.}}
  • To wait; rest in patience or expectation.
  • * (William Shakespeare) (c.1564–1616)
  • I'll tell thee all my whole device / When I am in my coach, which stays for us.
  • * (John Locke) (1632-1705)
  • The father cannot stay any longer for the fortune.
  • To wait as an attendant; give ceremonious or submissive attendance.
  • To continue to have a particular quality.
  • * (John Dryden) (1631-1700)
  • The flames augment, and stay / At their full height, then languish to decay.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-21, author=(Oliver Burkeman)
  • , volume=189, issue=2, page=27, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= The tao of tech , passage=The dirty secret of the internet is that all this distraction and interruption is immensely profitable. Web companies like to boast about […], or offering services that let you "stay up to date with what your friends are doing",
  • To support from sinking; to sustain with strength; to satisfy in part or for the time.
  • * Sir (Walter Scott) (1771-1832)
  • He has devoured a whole loaf of bread and butter, and it has not staid his stomach for a minute.
  • (obsolete) To remain for the purpose of; to wait for.
  • * (William Shakespeare) (c.1564–1616)
  • I stay dinner there.
  • To cause to cease; to put an end to.
  • * (William Shakespeare) (c.1564–1616)
  • Stay your strife.
  • * (Ralph Waldo Emerson) (1803-1882)
  • For flattering planets seemed to say / This child should ills of ages stay .
  • To fasten or secure with stays.
  • to stay a flat sheet in a steam boiler
    Derived terms
    * bestay * forestay * forstay * gainstay * here to stay * offstay * onstay * outstay * overstay * stay-at-home * stay behind * stay-button * stayer * stay hungry * stay on * stay over * stay put * stay the course * stay up * * understay * unstay * unstayed * upstay
    See also
    * abide * belive * continue * dwell * live * remain * reside

    References

    Etymology 3

    From (etyl) *. See above.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A prop; a support.
  • * Milton
  • My only strength and stay .
  • * Addison
  • Trees serve as so many stays for their vines.
  • * Coleridge
  • Lord Liverpool is the single stay of this ministry.
  • (archaic) A fastening for a garment; a hook; a clasp; anything to hang another thing on.
  • That which holds or restrains; obstacle; check; hindrance; restraint.
  • A stop; a halt; a break or cessation of action, motion, or progress.
  • * Milton
  • Made of sphere metal, never to decay / Until his revolution was at stay .
  • * Hayward
  • Affairs of state seemed rather to stand at a stay .
  • (archaic) A standstill; a state of rest; entire cessation of motion or progress.
  • stand at a stay
  • A postponement, especially of an execution or other punishment.
  • The governor granted a stay of execution.
  • A fixed state; fixedness; stability; permanence.
  • Continuance or a period of time spent in a place; abode for an indefinite time; sojourn.
  • I hope you enjoyed your stay in Hawaii.
  • (nautical) A station or fixed anchorage for vessels.
  • Restraint of passion; prudence; moderation; caution; steadiness; sobriety.
  • * Herbert
  • Not grudging that thy lust hath bounds and stays .
  • * Francis Bacon
  • The wisdom, stay , and moderation of the king.
  • * Philips
  • With prudent stay he long deferred / The rough contention.
  • A piece of stiff material, such as plastic or whalebone, used to stiffen a piece of clothing.
  • Where are the stays for my collar?
  • (obsolete) Hindrance; let; check.
  • * Robynson (More's Utopia)
  • They were able to read good authors without any stay , if the book were not false.
    Derived terms
    * gay for the stay * staycation

    Etymology 4

    From (etyl) , see (l).

    Alternative forms

    * (l), (l), (l), (l)

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • Steep; ascending.
  • (of a roof) Steeply pitched.
  • Difficult to negotiate; not easy to access; sheer.
  • Stiff; upright; unbending; reserved; haughty; proud.
  • Adverb

    (en-adv)
  • Steeply.
  • Statistics

    *

    sleep

    English

    (wikipedia sleep)

    Noun

  • (uncountable) The state of reduced consciousness during which a human or animal rests in a daily rhythm.
  • I really need some sleep .
    We need to conduct an overnight sleep''' test to diagnose your '''sleep problem.
  • (countable, informal) An act or instance of sleeping.
  • I’m just going to have a quick sleep .
  • (uncountable) Rheum found in the corner of the eyes after waking, whether real or a figurative objectification of sleep (in the sense of reduced consciousness ).
  • Wipe the sleep from your eyes .
  • A state of plants, usually at night, when their leaflets approach each other and the flowers close and droop, or are covered by the folded leaves.
  • * 1843 , Joh Müller, ?John Bell, Elements of Physiology (page 808)
  • The daily sleep of plants, and their winter sleep, present in this respect exactly similar phenomena

    Synonyms

    * See also * (rheum) (l) (slang), (l) (UK dialectal), sleepy dust (informal)

    Derived terms

    (Terms derived from the noun "sleep") * asleep * beauty sleep * big sleep * biphasic sleep * dead sleep * deep sleep * divided sleep * dog sleep * electrosleep * go to sleep * morning sleep * orthodox sleep * polyphasic sleep * put to sleep * REM sleep * segmented sleep * sleep apnea * sleep-charged * sleep debt * sleep deprivation * sleep disorder * sleepful * sleep-learning * sleepless * sleep mask * sleep mode * sleepover * sleep paralysis * sleep schedule * sleep spindle * sleeptalk * sleepy

    Verb

  • To rest in a state of reduced consciousness.
  • You should sleep 8 hours a day .
  • (Of a spinning top) to spin on its axis with no other perceptible motion.
  • * 1854 , Anne E. Baker, Glossary of Northamptonshire Words and Phrases
  • A top sleeps when it moves with such velocity, and spins so smoothly, that its motion is imperceptible.
    When a top is sleeping , it is spinning but not precessing.
  • To accommodate in beds.
  • This caravan can sleep up to four people .
  • To be slumbering in (a state).
  • to sleep a dreamless sleep
    (Tennyson)
  • To be careless, inattentive, or unconcerned; not to be vigilant; to live thoughtlessly.
  • * Atterbury
  • We sleep over our happiness.
  • To be dead; to lie in the grave.
  • * Bible, 1 Thessalonians iv. 14
  • Them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
  • To be, or appear to be, in repose; to be quiet; to be unemployed, unused, or unagitated; to rest; to lie dormant.
  • a question sleeps''' for the present; the law '''sleeps
  • * Shakespeare
  • How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank!
  • (lb) to wait for a period of time without performing any action
  • Derived terms

    (Terms derived from the verb "sleep") * besleep * how can you sleep at night * forsleep * outsleep * oversleep * sleep around * sleep-at-noon * sleep in * sleep it off * sleep it out * sleep like a baby * sleep like a log * sleep off * sleep on * sleep out * sleep over * sleep together * sleep with * sleep with the fishes * Sleeping Beauty * sleeping bag * sleeping pill * sleepwalk

    Troponyms

    * (rest in a state of reduced consciousness) nap, doze, snooze

    See also

    * catnap * rest * shuteye * sleeping * slumber * snooze * zzz

    References

    *

    Statistics

    *