forestay
noun, verb
Forms forestays forestaying forestayed forstay
- noun (nautical) A stay that extends from the top of the foremast to the bow or bowsprit of a sailing ship
- verb (transitive) To stay beforehand; secure or fasten with or as with a forestay.
- verb (transitive) To stay, delay, postpone, or hinder beforehand; forestall; prevent.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English forstay, forstey, vorstey, equivalent to fore- + stay (“a stay, rope”).
From fore- + stay (“to hold off, postpone, delay”).
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “forestay”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details