shift vs stay

shift

verb
  • To change residence; to leave and live elsewhere. 

  • To change position. 

  • To manipulate a binary number by moving all of its digits left or right; compare rotate. 

  • To move the keys of a typewriter over in order to type capital letters and special characters. 

  • In violin-playing, to move the left hand from its original position next to the nut. 

  • To dispose of. 

  • To practice indirect or evasive methods. 

  • To remove the first value from an array. 

  • To change gears (in a car). 

  • To hurry; to move quickly. 

  • To change the reality one's consciousness resides in through meditation or other means. 

  • To move from one place to another; to redistribute. 

  • To change in form or character; switch. 

  • To switch to a character entry mode for capital letters and special characters. 

  • To engage in sexual petting. 

noun
  • In violin-playing, any position of the left hand except that nearest the nut. 

  • A change of workers, now specifically a set group of workers or period of working time. 

  • An instance of the use of such a code or character. 

  • The act of kissing passionately. 

  • A type of women's undergarment of dress length worn under dresses or skirts, a slip or chemise. 

  • A bit shift. 

  • The extent, or arrangement, of the overlapping of plank, brick, stones, etc., that are placed in courses so as to break joints. 

  • A breaking off and dislocation of a seam; a fault. 

  • A mutation in which the DNA or RNA from two different sources (such as viruses or bacteria) combine. 

  • The gear mechanism in a motor vehicle. 

  • A period of time in which one's consciousness resides in another reality, usually achieved through meditation or other means. 

  • An act of shifting; a slight movement or change. 

  • A control code or character used to change between different character sets. 

  • An infield shift. 

  • A simple straight-hanging, loose-fitting dress. 

stay

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. 

adv
  • Steeply. 

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. 

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

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

  • 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. 

adj
  • Steep; ascending. 

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

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

  • (of a roof) Steeply pitched. 

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