dart vs stay

dart

noun
  • A fold that is stitched on a garment. 

  • A fish, the dace. 

  • Any of various species of hesperiid butterfly. 

  • A pointed missile weapon, intended to be thrown by the hand; for example, a short lance or javelin. 

  • Any sharp-pointed missile weapon, such as an arrow. 

  • A sudden or fast movement. 

  • A cigarette. 

  • Anything resembling such a missile; something that pierces or wounds like such a weapon. 

  • A small object with a pointed tip at one end and feathers at the other, which is thrown at a target in the game of darts. 

  • A dart-shaped target towed behind an aircraft to train shooters. 

verb
  • To throw with a sudden effort or thrust; to hurl or launch. 

  • To shoot with a dart, especially a tranquilizer dart. 

  • To fly or pass swiftly, like a dart; to move rapidly in one direction; to shoot out quickly. 

  • To send forth suddenly or rapidly; to emit; to shoot. 

  • To start and run with speed; to shoot rapidly along. 

stay

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

  • 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. 

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

  • A corset. 

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

  • A fixed state; fixedness; stability; permanence. 

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

  • The transverse piece in a chain-cable link. 

  • A prop; a support. 

  • A postponement, especially of an execution or other punishment. 

  • A station or fixed anchorage for vessels. 

adv
  • Steeply. 

adj
  • Steep; ascending. 

  • Difficult to negotiate; not easy to access; sheer. 

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

  • (of a roof) Steeply pitched. 

verb
  • To live; reside 

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

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

  • To brace or support with a stay or stays 

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

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

  • To continue to have a particular quality. 

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

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

  • To restrain; withhold; check; stop. 

  • To hold the attention of. 

  • To cause to cease; to put an end to. 

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

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

  • To tack; put on the other tack. 

How often have the words dart and stay occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )