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Glite Dictionary
forestay

forestay

1 9.8
A strong rope or wire from the front of a mast to the bow that holds the mast upright
  • noun
  • /ˈfɔːrˌsteɪ/
  • Specialized
: estay
  • He carefully inspected the forestay for any signs of wear before setting sail.

Examples

  • But the jib caught on the forestay; if it got backwinded, they would be hit.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • He was practically standing on the bowsprit, clutching a forestay.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • The crew adjusted the angle of the forestay to ensure the mast stayed upright during the storm.

  • During the race, the sailors secured the forestay to optimize the boat's performance.

Surface Forms

forestay singular
forestays plural

Morphology

forestay = fore + stay (transparent) = fore + stay

Direct compound of 'fore' (front) + 'stay' (a rope supporting a mast); the meaning is the stay located at the front of the ship.

Etymology

Forestay comes from the parts fore- 'front' and stay 'support', like in the word before for 'front' and the verb 'stay' for 'hold'. So a forestay is the rope at the front that holds a ship's mast in place.