mainstay
- 01 C2 Proficiency
a strong rope that supports the main mast of a ship.
a heavy stay or rope extending from the maintop to the foot of the foremast to support the mainmast.
Simple“The sailors checked the mainstay for wear before the storm arrived.”
In context“The ship's structural integrity depended on the tension of the mainstay, which prevented the mainmast from buckling under the pressure of high winds.”
UsageIn modern contexts, this sense is restricted to maritime history or sailing technicalities.
“Digital media and the people who star in it have been cultural mainstays for teens' entire lives, so creating social media, video or podcast content seems a natural, albeit nontraditional, career path.”
“In his year were other musicians who have also become Grammy mainstays: Chief Adjuah, Trombone Shorty and Jon Batiste.”
From Middle English main stai, equivalent to main + stay (“rope”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.