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MAINSTAY definition: 1. the most important part of something, providing support for everything else: 2. the most…. Learn more.
: a crucial or key part of something. Fish is the mainstay of their diet. Tourism is a mainstay of the city's economy. The mainstay of treatment for chronic hives of unknown origin is antihistamine medications. Mayo Clinic Health Letter. b. : someone or something that is a principal or reliable support or resource.
noun. us / ˈmeɪn.steɪ / uk / ˈmeɪn.steɪ / the mainstay of something. Add to word list. the most important part of something, providing support for everything else: Cattle farming is the mainstay of the country's economy. The white blouse will be the mainstay of your wardrobe this summer. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases.
If you describe something as the mainstay of a particular thing, you mean that it is the most basic part of it. Fish and rice were the mainstays of the country's diet. American English : mainstay / ˈmeɪnsteɪ /
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 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.
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.
MAINSTAY definition: the most important thing or activity: . Learn more.
What does the noun mainstay mean? There are two meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun mainstay. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence. See meaning & use. How common is the noun mainstay? About 1 occurrence per million words in modern written English. See frequency. How is the noun mainstay pronounced?
Define mainstay. mainstay synonyms, mainstay pronunciation, mainstay translation, English dictionary definition of mainstay. n. 1. A chief support: Agriculture is a mainstay of the economy. 2. Nautical A stay running forward from the mainmast to the deck of a sailing vessel....
