| 单词 | mainstay |
| 释义 | mainstay (once / 5373 pages) 1n 2n 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. A mainstay holds everything together, whether it's your grandmother who acts as the anchor of your whole crazy family, a pillar that physically keeps a building from falling down, or the job that enables you to pay your rent every month. The noun mainstay is originally a nautical term meaning the rope that stabilizes two masts on a sailboat, and since the 1780s it's been used to mean "chief support." WORD FAMILYmainstay: mainstays USAGE EXAMPLESIt became a mainstay at beer keggers, where its size, typically 16 ounces, durability and opacity were prized attributes. New York Times(Dec 30, 2016) From an early age, she was a mainstay of the church choir in Ponca City, Okla., where her family moved in 1948. New York Times(Dec 30, 2016) A mainstay of the industry, the business involves delivering gas by truck to customers within a radius of a few hundred miles. Wall Street Journal(Dec 20, 2016) 1 1n a prominent supporter Syn|Hyper pillar admirer, booster, champion, friend, protagonist, supporter a person who backs a politician or a team etc. 2n a central cohesive source of support and stability 2Syn|Hyper anchor, backbone, keystone, linchpin, lynchpin support something providing immaterial assistance to a person or cause or interest n the forestay that braces the mainmast Hyper forestay an adjustable stay from the foremast to the deck or bowsprit; controls the bending of the mast |
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