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

Though rare outside of North America, the “two ways out” rule for mid-rises has been a mainstay of fire protection policy in this country and in Canada for the last century.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Then Harvard—a mainstay in his life and career—announced it would take a fresh look at his and other faculty members’ ties to Epstein.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

With the whole roster finally at his disposal, Redick changed up the rotation that left some mainstays on the bench.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

London is now a mainstay on the calendar, and this season has seen the NFL make debuts in Dublin, Berlin and Madrid.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In the 30 years since Quintanilla’s death, she’s become a mainstay in pop culture.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• backbone 
• bulwark 
• linchpin 
• pillar