Definition of belay
belayed
;belaying
transitive verb
1a : to secure (a rope or cable) by turns around a cleat (see 1cleat 1b), pin, or bittb : to make fast : to fasten down belaying ammunition on deck
3a : to secure (a person) at the end of a rope belay a climber … belaying each other over the difficult places. — National Geographicb : to secure (a rope) to a person or object
intransitive verb
1 : to be made fast knowing where each rope belays on deck
3 : to make a line (see 1line 1) fast by turns around a cleat, pin, or bitt
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Examples of belay in a Sentence
The climber belayed the rope.
Origin and Etymology of belay
Middle English beleggen to beset, from Old English belecgan, from be- + lecgan to lay
First Known Use: circa 1550
belay
Definition of belay
1 : the securing of a person or a safety rope to an anchor point (as during mountain climbing) Belays are more difficult to secure on ice and snow than on rock … — Kenneth A. Henderson; also : a method of so securing a person or rope
2 : something (such as a projection of rock) to which a person or rope is anchored
Origin and Etymology of belay
noun derivative of 1belay
First Known Use: 1905
BELAY Defined for English Language Learners
belay
playDefinition of belay for English Language Learners
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: to attach (a rope) to something so that it is secure : to attach a secure rope to (a person) for safety
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