Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
 
Help
Related Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

mainstay

 - 3 dictionary results
MainStay Suites® Hotels
Fully Equipped Kitchen, Laundry, & Work Area. Free Bfst & Internet.
www.MainstaySuites.com

main⋅stay

  [meyn-stey]
Use mainstay in a Sentence
–noun
1. Nautical. the stay that secures the mainmast forward.
2. a person or thing that acts as a chief support or part: Coffee is the mainstay of the country's economy.
Origin:
1475–85; main 1 + stay 2

Synonyms:
2. pillar, bulwark, anchor, prop.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To mainstay
MainStay Suites® Hotels
Fully Equipped Kitchen, Laundry, & Work Area. Free Bfst & Internet.
www.MainstaySuites.com
main·stay   (mān'stā')   
n.  

  1. A chief support: Agriculture is a mainstay of the economy.

  2. Nautical A strong rope that serves to steady and support the mainmast of a sailing vessel.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

mainstay 
"chief support," 1787, figurative use of a nautical noun meaning "stay which extends from the main-top to the foot of the foremast" (1485), from main (adj.) + stay (n.).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Search another word or see mainstay on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way