- mainstay
- noun Date: 15th century 1. a ship's stay extending from the maintop forward usually to the foot of the foremast 2. a chief support
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
mainstay
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mainstay — main‧stay [ˈmeɪnsteɪ] noun [countable usually singular] the most important part of something, that makes it possible for it to be successful or to continue to exist: mainstay of • Cod fishing was the mainstay of the Newfoundland economy,… … Financial and business terms
Mainstay — Main stay , n. 1. (Naut.) The stay extending from the foot of the foremast to the maintop. [1913 Webster] 2. Main support; principal dependence. [1913 Webster] The great mainstay of the Church. Buckle. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
mainstay — I noun anchor, assurance, backbone, backer, bastion, brace, bulwark, buttress, champion, chief reliance, cornerstone, crutch, deliverance, dependence, foundation, help, keystone, maintainer, nucleus, pillar, principal backer, principal maintainer … Law dictionary
mainstay — (n.) chief support, 1787, figurative use of a nautical noun meaning stay which extends from the main top to the foot of the foremast (late 15c.), from MAIN (Cf. main) (adj.) + STAY (Cf. stay) (n.) … Etymology dictionary
mainstay — [n] chief support anchor, backbone, brace, bulwark, buttress, crutch*, good right arm*, linchpin*, maintainer, pillar, prop, right hand person*, sinew, staff, standby, stay, strength, supporter, sustainer, upholder; concepts 646,712 … New thesaurus
mainstay — ► NOUN 1) a stay which extends from the maintop to the foot of the foremast of a sailing ship. 2) the chief support or main part … English terms dictionary
mainstay — [mān′stā΄] n. 1. a stay, or line, extending forward from the mainmast, supporting it and holding it in position 2. a chief support … English World dictionary
Mainstay — This article is about the band. For Soviet AWACS aircraft with NATO designation Mainstay, see Beriev A 50. Mainstay Origin United States Genres Christian rock Years active 2001–2008 (On Hiatus) … Wikipedia
mainstay — noun the mainstay of a) an important part of something that makes it possible for it to work properly or continue to exist: Agriculture is still the mainstay of the country s economy.b)someone who does most of the important work for a group or… … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
mainstay — UK [ˈmeɪnˌsteɪ] / US noun [countable] Word forms mainstay : singular mainstay plural mainstays the person or thing that something depends on most in order to continue or be successful mainstay of: Oil exports are the mainstay of the economy … English dictionary
mainstay — main|stay [ˈmeınsteı] n the mainstay of sth a) an important part of something that makes it possible for it to work properly or continue to exist ▪ Agriculture is still the mainstay of the country s economy. b) someone who does most of the… … Dictionary of contemporary English
