mainstayn.
/ˈmeɪnsteɪ/, U.S. /ˈmeɪnˌsteɪ/ 1. Nautical. The stay which extends from the maintop to the foot of the foremast.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > equipment of vessel > masts, rigging, or sails > rigging > [noun] > fixed rigging > stay > specific
head ropec1295
fore-stay1373
mainstay1485
sheep's feet1530
forehand1609
backstay1626
jib-stay1752
bobstay1759
breast backstay1769
sciatic stay1794
fore-topgallant-stay1805
funnel-stays1846
belly-stay-
1485 in M. Oppenheim Naval Accts. & Inventories Henry VII (1896) 37 Cablettes for the mayne stay.
1626 J. Smith Accidence Young Sea-men 14 The tacklings are the fore stay, the maine stay.
1666 London Gaz. No. 60/3 Our Main-stay, and our Main Top-Mast..came all by the board.
1709 London Gaz. No. 4521/2 Having..our Shrouds and Back-stays cut to pieces; as also our Main and False-stay.
1730 W. Wriglesworth MS Log-bk. of ‘Lyell’ 22 Sept. Got our Main Stay down, Wormed the lower end of it.
1815 W. Burney Falconer's New Universal Dict. Marine (rev. ed.) Stay-Tackle, a large tackle, attached by means of a pendant to the main stay.
1878 W. C. Russell Wreck of Grosvenor xvii The collar of the mainstay.
2. figurative. A chief support; something or someone on which a person mainly relies.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > expectation > hope > confident hope, trust > [noun] > object of trust
sheet-anchor1524
confidence1535
staya1542
mainstay1604
reposure1682
dependence1753
the mind > attention and judgement > importance > [noun] > that which is important > most important > support
pillara1555
sinew1579
mainstay1604
axisa1625
backbone1849
1604 J. Marston & J. Webster Malcontent (new ed.) v. ii. sig. H3v For impudencie and faithlesnes are the maine stayes to greatnesse.
1787 T. Jefferson Let. 1 July in Papers (1955) XI. 517 The points of contact and connection with this country, which I consider as our surest main-stay under every event.
1840 W. Irving Early Experiences of Ralph Ringwood in Knickerbocker Sept. 258 This maxim..has been pretty much my main-stay throughout life.
1861 T. Hughes Tom Brown at Oxf. I. iv. 60 The host..was one of the mainstays of the College boat-club.
1882 Cent. Mag. July 342/1 She had been feminine Wecumseh's main-stay in matters of dress-making for years.
1909 C. F. G. Masterman Condition of Eng. iii. 83 They appear as the mainstay of the political machine in suburban districts.
1955 W. J. Bate Achievem. of S. Johnson (1978) i. 47 The easy gossip and routine anecdotes that serve as the mainstay of most conversation.
1988 P. Monette Borrowed Time v. 126 I had to build myself a support system with others so I could be the mainstay to Rog.
Compounds
mainstaysail n. a storm-sail set on the mainstay.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > equipment of vessel > masts, rigging, or sails > sail > [noun] > sail set on a stay > other staysails
mainstaysail1669
storm-staysail1850
spilling-staysail1851
queen staysail1922
queen's staysail1926
1669 S. Sturmy Mariners Mag. i. ii. 18 Hoise up Main Staysail, and Mizen Stay-sail.
1753 T. Woodroofe in J. Hanway Hist. Acct. Brit. Trade Caspian Sea I. xxiii. 152 We furled the foresail, and lay to under a mainstaysail.
1867 W. H. Smyth & E. Belcher Sailor's Word-bk. Main-staysail.
1926 Yachting Monthly Aug. 244/1 Above the mainstaysail was another triangular sail, commonly known as a ‘Queen's’ staysail.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2000; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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