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- Dictionarymainstay/ˈmeɪnsteɪ/
noun
- 1. a person or thing on which something else is based or depends: "farming is the mainstay of the rural economy" Similar
- 2. a stay that extends from the maintop to the foot of the foremast of a sailing ship.
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MAINSTAY definition: 1. the most important part of something, providing support for everything else: 2. the most…. Learn more.
The meaning of MAINSTAY is a crucial or key part of something. How to use mainstay in a sentence.
MAINSTAY meaning: 1. the most important part of something, providing support for everything else: 2. the most…. Learn more.
If you describe something as the mainstay of a particular thing, you mean that it is the most basic part of it.
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. nautical the forestay that braces the mainmast. a chief support. Discover More. Word History and Origins. Origin of mainstay 1. First recorded in 1475–85; main 1 + stay 2.
noun. /ˈmeɪnsteɪ/ [usually singular] mainstay (of something) a person or thing that is the most important part of something and enables it to exist or be successful. He is the mainstay of our theatre group. Cocoa is the country's economic mainstay. Love songs form the mainstay of his act. Topics Success c2. Questions about grammar and vocabulary?
A mainstay is something that acts as a source of support for a community. If your hometown's economy depends on tourists visiting every summer, you could say that tourism is the mainstay of your town.
