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Glite Dictionary
jumper stay

jumper stay

9.9
A short wire on a sailboat that keeps the mast top straight and sends pull from back to front
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : stay de refuerzo
  • Without a jumper stay, the upper mast can flex excessively under heavy load.

Examples

  • The jumper stay helps maintain the mast's alignment during high winds.

  • Older sailing yachts often featured a jumper stay as part of their rigging.

  • The jumper stay is essential for mast stability.

  • Many sailors rely on jumper stays for better performance.

  • Older sailing yachts often featured a jumper stay as part of their rigging.

  • The jumper stay helps maintain the mast's alignment during high winds.

  • Without a jumper stay, the upper mast can flex excessively under heavy load.

Surface Forms

jumper stay singular
jumper stays plural

Morphology

jumper + stay

This is a specialized nautical term whose specific sense (an additional rigging stay that limits mast bend and transfers tension) is not predictable from its parts. 'Jumper' is rare or ambiguous for a B1 learner and, although 'stay' suggests a support, knowing both constituents would not let a learner infer the precise technical function, so the expression is opaque.

Etymology

Jumper stay is a short extra rope high on a sailing ship's mast. The word stay means 'a rope that holds the mast' and jumper shows it is a small extra one that moves the pull from the back ropes to the front, so it stops the top of the mast from bending and keeps the mast steady.