1591 R. Turnbull Expos. Epist. St. Iames f. 121 He that meeteth a way~fairing man, farre from al path or highway, wandring; and saith, go aright: yet teacheth not which hand he must turne on,..helpeth the staier nothing towardes his proposed iourney.

1745 J. Swift Direct. to Servants 11 The Stayer at home may be comforted by a Visit from a Sweet-heart.

1788 W. Cowper Let. 28 Aug. (1982) III. 204 I found you out to be sedentary, at least much a stayer within doors.

1805 W. Taylor in J. W. Robberds Mem. W. Taylor (1843) II. 72 My father is not very fond of long stayers, and I have more than once been obliged to interrupt the visits of friends of mine.

1851 A. Helps Compan. Solitude viii. 159 Hundreds of thousands..repeating an adventure not good in a commercial sense, but still which gave a dignity to them such as the stayers at home never attained.

1852 R. S. Surtees Mr. Sponge's Sporting Tour viii. lxiv. 243 He seemed to think that, being a stayer, he had more right to the fire than the mere diners.

1862 Sporting Mag. May 381 Asteroid proved to be another of the Stockwell stayers.

1874 Hotten's Slang Dict. (rev. ed.) 309 Stayer, one likely to persevere, one not easily discouraged.

1887 M. Shearman Athletics & Football (Badminton Libr. of Sports & Pastimes) 137 He could have beaten the [walking] record for seven miles, as he was a fine stayer.