backstay

¹ American  

[bak-stey] / ˈbækˌsteɪ /

noun

1. Machinery. a supporting or checking piece in a mechanism.

2. Building Trades. an anchored tension member, as a cable, permanently or temporarily supporting a compression member, as a tower or pole, subject to a pull above its base from the opposite direction.

3. a strip of leather at the back of a shoe used for reinforcement and sometimes to connect the quarters.

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backstay ² American  

[bak-stey] / ˈbækˌsteɪ /

noun

1. Nautical. any of various shrouds forming part of a vessel's standing rigging and leading aft from masts above a lower mast to the sides or stern of the vessel in order to reinforce the masts against forward pull.

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backstay British  

/ ˈbækˌsteɪ /

noun

1. nautical a stay leading aft from the upper part of a mast to the deck or stern

2. machinery a supporting piece or arresting part

3. anything that supports or strengthens the back of something, such as leather covering the back seam of a shoe

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Etymology

Origin of backstay¹

First recorded in 1860–65; back ¹ + stay ²

Origin of backstay²

First recorded in 1620–30; back ¹ + stay ³

Example Sentences

The 55-foot yacht Yendys pulled out shortly before the race started with a broken backstay -- a line that supports the mast, reducing the fleet to 128.

From Barron's • Dec. 26, 2025

A backstay floated dangling from it, stout rawhide rope, and I used this for lashing mast and keel together.

From "The Odyssey" by Homer

The Mate leapt to the ladder, but, as he balanced, we saw one of the men in the main rigging slide down a backstay, drop heavily on deck, recover, and dash on towards the boy.

From The Brassbounder A Tale of the Sea by Bone, David W.

Then without more ado the splendid human animal clutched a backstay and swarmed aloft with the agility of an ape, showing not a whit of strain after his battle with the roaring seas.

From The Pirate Woman by Dingle, Aylward Edward

A piece of iron used instead of a chain to confine the dead-eye of the backstay to the after-channel.—Foot-hook or futtock plates.

From The Sailor's Word-Book An Alphabetical Digest of Nautical Terms, including Some More Especially Military and Scientific, but Useful to Seamen; as well as Archaisms of Early Voyagers, etc. by Belcher, Edward, Sir