mainstay

American  

[meyn-stey] / ˈmeɪnˌsteɪ /

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

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mainstay British  

/ ˈmeɪnˌsteɪ /

noun

1. nautical the forestay that braces the mainmast

2. a chief support

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Etymology

Origin of mainstay

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

Example Sentences

Buttler, who signed a new two-year central contract last year, has been a mainstay of England's white-ball teams for more than a decade.

From BBC

Charreadas remain a mainstay throughout Mexico and in Mexican American communities north of the border.

From Los Angeles Times

Sheep, and in particular wool, were a mainstay of the Australian economy for much of the past 150 years, feeding into the notion by the 1950s that Australia "rode on the sheep's back".

From Barron's

The soulful pop-rock love song has been a mainstay on the singles chart since its release last June, previously peaking at number five three times.

From BBC

Broadcaster Channel 4 later revealed Lawson would become only the programme's fourth permanent judge, alongside mainstay Paul Hollywood, for its 17th series later this year.

From BBC

Related Words

• backbone
• bulwark
• linchpin
• pillar