to come to stay
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
An expression used of something which possesses permanent quali- ties.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to come to stay” mean?
An expression used of something which possesses permanent quali- ties.
Is “to come to stay” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.