STAY

Dictionary of Science, Literature and Art · 1842 · p. 43

A strong rope from the mast head, leading forward to support it from falling aft. It takes the name of the mast, as the fore stay, main-topmast stay, . To stay, means to tack. To be in stays, is to be in the act of tacking. To mi stays, signifies to fail in attempting to tack. [s. 1166]