backstay

¹ American  

[bak-stey] / ˈbækˌsteɪ /

noun

1. Machinery. a supporting or checking piece in a mechanism.

2. Building Trades. an anchored tension member, as a cable, permanently or temporarily supporting a compression member, as a tower or pole, subject to a pull above its base from the opposite direction.

3. a strip of leather at the back of a shoe used for reinforcement and sometimes to connect the quarters.

---

backstay ² American  

[bak-stey] / ˈbækˌsteɪ /

noun

1. Nautical. any of various shrouds forming part of a vessel's standing rigging and leading aft from masts above a lower mast to the sides or stern of the vessel in order to reinforce the masts against forward pull.

---

backstay British  

/ ˈbækˌsteɪ /

noun

1. nautical a stay leading aft from the upper part of a mast to the deck or stern

2. machinery a supporting piece or arresting part

3. anything that supports or strengthens the back of something, such as leather covering the back seam of a shoe

---

Etymology

Origin of backstay¹

First recorded in 1860–65; back ¹ + stay ²

Origin of backstay²

First recorded in 1620–30; back ¹ + stay ³

Example Sentences

The 55-foot yacht Yendys pulled out shortly before the race started with a broken backstay -- a line that supports the mast, reducing the fleet to 128.

From Barron's • Dec. 26, 2025

A backstay floated dangling from it, stout rawhide rope, and I used this for lashing mast and keel together.

From "The Odyssey" by Homer

I recovered myself, trembling and greatly agitated by the noise and the movement coming together, without the least hint having been given me, and grasping a backstay, waited, not knowing what was to happen next.

From The Frozen Pirate by Russell, W. Clark (William Clark)

A piece of iron used instead of a chain to confine the dead-eye of the backstay to the after-channel.—Foot-hook or futtock plates.

From The Sailor's Word-Book An Alphabetical Digest of Nautical Terms, including Some More Especially Military and Scientific, but Useful to Seamen; as well as Archaisms of Early Voyagers, etc. by Belcher, Edward, Sir

"Shanghaied!" he repeated as he reeled to the rail and caught at a backstay to steady himself.

From Those Who Smiled And Eleven Other Stories by Gibbon, Perceval