Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “mainstay” come from?

Mainstay comes from Middle English main stai, a nautical term referring to the principal supporting rope of a ship's mast.

mainstay (English): A chief support; Someone or something that can be...

Definitions

  1. A chief support; Someone or something that can be...

Ancestry of “mainstay”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishmain stai—
Every word from Middle English main stai →