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belay

 - 3 dictionary results

be⋅lay

  [bi-ley] verb, -layed, -lay⋅ing, noun
Use belay in a Sentence
–verb (used with object)
1. Nautical. to fasten (a rope) by winding around a pin or short rod inserted in a holder so that both ends of the rod are clear.
2. Mountain Climbing.
a. to secure (a person) by attaching to one end of a rope.
b. to secure (a rope) by attaching to a person or to an object offering stable support.
3. (used chiefly in the imperative)
a. to cease (an action); stop.
b. to ignore (an announcement, order, etc.): Belay that, the meeting will be at 0900 instead of 0800.
–verb (used without object)
4. to belay a rope: Belay on that cleat over there.
–noun
5. Mountain Climbing. a rock, bush, or other object sturdy enough for a running rope to be passed around it to secure a hold.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME beleggen, OE belecgan. See be-, lay 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To belay
be·lay   (bĭ-lā')   
v.   be·layed, be·lay·ing, be·lays

v.   tr.

  1. Nautical To secure or make fast (a rope, for example) by winding on a cleat or pin.

  2. To secure (a mountain climber, for example) at the end of a length of rope.

  3. To cause to stop.

v.   intr.

  1. To be made secure.

  2. Used in the imperative as an order to stop: Belay there!

n.  

  1. The securing of a rope on a rock or other projection during mountain climbing.

  2. An object, such as a rock, to which a mountain climber's rope can be secured.


[Middle English bileggen, to surround, from Old English belecgan; see legh- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

belay 
O.E. bilecgan "to lay a thing about" (with other objects), from be- + lecgan "to lay" (see lay). The only surviving sense is the nautical one of "coil a running rope round a cleat or pin to secure it" (also transferred to mountain-climbing), first attested 1549; but this is possibly a cognate word, from Du. beleggen.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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