forestay
Americannoun
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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.
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a stay leading aft and upwards toward the mainmast of a sloop, knockabout, cutter, ketch, yawl, or dandy.
noun
Etymology
Origin of forestay
First recorded in 1325–75, forestay is from the Middle English word forstay. See fore-, stay 3
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On the morning of the seventh day out, she had covered 800 miles and was making splendid headway, with her mainsail, foresail, forestay sail and jib set and full.
From Time Magazine Archive
As we approached Molokai at night in 25-knot winds the chute became progressively harder to manage and ultimately wrapped itself on the forestay.
From Time Magazine Archive
Easy enough: I swung myself up by the schooner's forestay.
From Shining Ferry by Quiller-Couch, Arthur Thomas, Sir
The schooner showed no riding light on her forestay, but, on the after deck under the awning, a lamp was burning, and three men—the captain, mate, and boatswain—were playing cards on the skylight.
From By Rock and Pool on an Austral Shore, and Other Stories by Becke, Louis
And this, I see, must be the topmast backstay; and this the forestay; and that the topmast stay.
From Ernest Bracebridge School Days by Thomas, William I.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
