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forestay

[ fawr-stey, fohr- ]
/ ˈfɔrˌsteɪ, ˈfoʊr- /
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noun
a stay leading aft and upward from the stem or knightheads of a vessel to the head of the fore lower mast; the lowermost stay of a foremast.
a stay leading aft and upwards toward the mainmast of a sloop, knockabout, cutter, ketch, yawl, or dandy.
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Origin of forestay

First recorded in 1325–75, forestay is from the Middle English word forstay.See fore-, stay3
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use forestay in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for forestay

forestay
/ (ˈfɔːˌsteɪ) /

noun
nautical an adjustable stay leading from the truck of the foremast to the deck, stem, or bowsprit, for controlling the motion or bending of the mast
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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