bobstay

[ bob-stey ]

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

Origin of bobstay

1
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.

  • 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.

  • Almost by a miracle, the captain clutched at the bobstay and managed to get one hand up and over the bowsprit.

British Dictionary definitions for bobstay

bobstay

/ (ˈbɒbˌsteɪ) /


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

Origin of bobstay

1
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