MAINSTAY


Meaning of MAINSTAY in English

/mayn"stay'/ , n.

1. Naut. 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.

[ 1475-85; MAIN 1 + STAY 2 ]

Syn. 2. pillar, bulwark, anchor, prop.

Random House Webster's Unabridged English dictionary.      Полный английский словарь Вебстер - Random House .