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belay

[ bih-ley ]
/ bɪˈleɪ /
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verb (used with object), be·layed, be·lay·ing.
Nautical. to fasten (a rope) by winding around a pin or short rod inserted in a holder so that both ends of the rod are clear.
Mountain Climbing.
  1. to secure (a person) by attaching to one end of a rope.
  2. to secure (a rope) by attaching to a person or to an object offering stable support.
(used chiefly in the imperative)
  1. to cease (an action); stop.
  2. to ignore (an announcement, order, etc.): Belay that, the meeting will be at 0900 instead of 0800.
verb (used without object), be·layed, be·lay·ing.
to belay a rope: Belay on that cleat over there.
noun
Mountain Climbing. a rock, bush, or other object sturdy enough for a running rope to be passed around it to secure a hold.
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Origin of belay

before 900; Middle English beleggen,Old English belecgan.See be-, lay1

Words nearby belay

belated, belatedly, Belau, belaud, Belaúnde, belay, Belaya, Belaya Tserkov, belaying cleat, belaying pin, bel canto
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to belay

arrest, cancel, cease, check, end, halt, quit, stall, stay

How to use belay in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for belay

belay
/ (bɪˈleɪ) /
verb -lays, -laying or -layed
nautical to make fast (a line) by securing to a pin, cleat, or bitt
(usually imperative) nautical to stop; cease
(ˈbiːˌleɪ) mountaineering to secure (a climber) to a mountain by tying the rope off round a rock spike, piton, nut, etc
noun
(ˈbiːˌleɪ) mountaineering the attachment (of a climber) to a mountain by tying the rope off round a rock spike, piton, nut, etc, to safeguard the party in the event of a fallSee also running belay

Word Origin for belay

Old English belecgan; related to Old High German bileggen, Dutch beleggen
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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