mainstay

[meyn-stey]

noun

1. Nautical.,  the stay that secures the mainmast forward.

2. a person or thing that acts as a chief support or part.

   Coffee is the mainstay of the country's economy.

   Synonyms: prop, anchor, bulwark, pillar

mainstay

/ ˈmeɪnˌsteɪ /

noun

1. nautical the forestay that braces the mainmast

2. a chief support

Word History and Origins

Origin of mainstay¹

First recorded in 1475–85; main ¹ + stay ²

Example Sentences

Our soundtrack aptly intersected folk and country, and while we listened to anything anyone recommended, Cash was our mainstay.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

You know the species because androids have been a mainstay of science fiction since before Isaac Asimov coined the “three laws of robotics” for a novelette published in 1942.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

With nearly a quarter of the season already gone, it looks like two mainstays of the league in recent campaigns will be scrapping to avoid finishing 12th.

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In that short time, her salary has become the mainstay of her household.

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Together, the Campbells were mainstays of the Edinburgh political scene.

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Related Words

• backbone 
• bulwark 
• linchpin 
• pillar