sta|tus ◆◆◇ /ste I təs/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Your status is your social or professional position. □ The fact that the burial involved an expensive coffin signifies that the person was of high status. □ …women and men of wealth and status. □ … her former status as a vice-president of the Spanish Athletics Federation.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Status is the importance and respect that someone has among the public or a particular group. □ Nurses are undervalued, and they never enjoy the same status as doctors.
3 N‑UNCOUNT The status of something is the importance that people give it. □ Those things that can be assessed by external tests are being given unduly high status.
4 N‑UNCOUNT A particular status is an official description that says what category a person, organization, or place belongs to, and gives them particular rights or advantages. □ [+ as ] Bristol regained its status as a city in the local government reorganisation. □ [+ as ] …his status as a British citizen.
5 N‑UNCOUNT The status of something is its state of affairs at a particular time. □ What is your current financial status?
sta|tus quo /ste I təs kwoʊ / N‑SING The status quo is the state of affairs that exists at a particular time, especially in contrast to a different possible state of affairs. □ They have no wish for any change in the status quo.
sta |tus sym|bol (status symbols ) N‑COUNT A status symbol is something that a person has or owns that shows they have money or importance in society.
stat|ute /stæ tʃuːt/ (statutes ) N‑VAR A statute is a rule or law which has been made by a government or other organization and formally written down. □ The new statute covers the care for, bringing up and protection of children.
sta t|ute book (statute books ) N‑COUNT The statute book is a record of all the laws made by the government. [mainly BRIT ] □ The Bill could reach the statute book by the summer if it attracts the support of Home Office ministers.
statu|tory /stæ tʃʊtəri, [AM ] -tɔːri/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Statutory means relating to rules or laws which have been formally written down. [FORMAL ] □ We had a statutory duty to report to Parliament.
sta tu|tory ra pe N‑UNCOUNT In the United States, statutory rape is the crime committed by an adult when they have sex with someone who is under the age when they can legally agree to have sex.
staunch /stɔː ntʃ/ (stauncher , staunchest , staunches , staunching , staunched )
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A staunch supporter or believer is very loyal to a person, organization, or set of beliefs, and supports them strongly. □ He's a staunch supporter of controls on government spending. ● staunch|ly ADV □ He was staunchly opposed to a public confession.
2 VERB To staunch the flow of something means to stop it. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] The government claims this is the only way to staunch the annual flow to Germany of hundreds of thousands of refugees.
3 VERB To staunch a wound, or to staunch the blood from a wound, means to stop the wound from bleeding. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] Tom tried to staunch the blood with his handkerchief.
stave /ste I v/ (staves , staving , staved )
1 N‑COUNT A stave is a strong stick, especially one that is used as a weapon. □ Many of the men had armed themselves with staves and pieces of iron.
2 N‑COUNT A stave is the five lines that music is written on. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, use staff
▸ stave off PHRASAL VERB If you stave off something bad, or if you stave it off , you succeed in stopping it happening for a while. □ [V P n] The reforms were a desperate attempt to stave off defeat. □ [V n P ] But the reality of discovery was a different matter, and he did all he could to stave it off.
stay ◆◆◆ /ste I / (stays , staying , stayed )
1 VERB If you stay where you are, you continue to be there and do not leave. □ [V adv/prep] 'Stay here,' Trish said. 'I'll bring the car down the drive to take you back.'. □ [V adv/prep] In the old days the woman stayed at home and the man earned the money.
2 VERB If you stay in a town, or hotel, or at someone's house, you live there for a short time. □ [V prep/adv] Gordon stayed at The Park Hotel, Milan. □ [V n] He tried to stay a few months every year in Scotland. ● N‑COUNT Stay is also a noun. □ An experienced Indian guide is provided during your stay.
3 V‑LINK If someone or something stays in a particular state or situation, they continue to be in it. □ [V adv/prep] The Republican candidate said he would 'work like crazy to stay ahead'. □ [V adj] …community care networks that offer classes on how to stay healthy. [Also V n]
4 VERB If you stay away from a place, you do not go there. □ [V + from ] Government employers and officers also stayed away from work during the strike. □ Every single employee turned up at the meeting, even people who usually stayed away.
5 VERB If you stay out of something, you do not get involved in it. □ [V + of ] In the past, the U.N. has stayed out of the internal affairs of countries unless invited in.
6 PHRASE If you stay put , you remain somewhere. □ Nigel says for the moment he is very happy to stay put in Lyon.
7 PHRASE If you stay the night in a place, you sleep there for one night. □ They had invited me to come to supper and stay the night.