bobstay

[ bob-stey ]

nounNautical.

a rope, chain, or rod from the outer end of the bowsprit to the cutwater.

Origin of bobstay

First recorded in 1750–60; bob¹ + stay³

Words Nearby bobstay

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bobstay in a sentence

This, with the carrying away of the bobstay, necessitated the taking out of the mast now.
The Rival Campers Afloat | Ruel Perley Smith
The bobstay of the bowsprit was smashed by coming in contact with a mass of floating ice.
The Romance of Polar Exploration | G. Firth Scott
After this, climbing up the bobstay, he regained the deck, and proceeded to dry his hairy frame on an ancient flannel shirt.
Golden Stories | Various
"I 'll tell you what," 'Frisco Kid suggested half an hour later, while they clung to the bobstay preparatory to climbing out.
The Cruise of the Dazzler | Jack London
Almost by a miracle, the captain clutched at the bobstay and managed to get one hand up and over the bowsprit.
The Cruise of the Dazzler | Jack London

British Dictionary definitions for bobstay

bobstay

/ (ˈbɒbˌsteɪ) /

noun

a strong stay between a bowsprit and the stem of a vessel for holding down the bowsprit

Origin of bobstay

C18: perhaps from bob 1 + stay ³

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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