Headstays

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of rigging used on sailing vessels to support the mast by connecting it to the bow
2. It serves to stabilize the mast against forces from the sails during sailing
3. This equipment ensures that the mast remains upright and secure while in operation

Etymology: "Headstays" is the plural of "headstay," a nautical term for a stay (a rope or wire that supports a mast) running forward from the top of the mast to the bow of a vessel. The noun is a compound of "head," in the sense of the forward part of a ship, and "stay," the rigging that keeps a mast from falling backward or sideways. Sailors name each stay for where it attaches, so the forward one takes the part of the ship it reaches. Because the plural simply names more than one of these forward supports, sailors often speak of "headstays" when a vessel carries several, such as a forestay and inner forestay on a sloop or cutter.