Naut. Pa. t. and pa. pple. stayed. [f. STAY sb.1 Cf. OF. estayer (mod.F. étayer).]
1. trans. To secure or steady by means of stays; to incline (forward, aft, or to one side) by means of stays.
1627. Capt. Smith, Sea Gram., v. 19. Those staies doe helpe to stay the Boulspret.
1644. Manwayring, Seamans Dict., 101. The foremast and masts belonging to it are in the same manner stayed at the bolt-sprit, and sprit-saile-top-mast.
1793. Smeaton, Edystone L., § 300. Our shears and tackle were so well lashed down and stayed.
1846. A. Young, Naut. Dict., 296. A mast is said to be stayed forward, or to rake aft, according as it inclines forward or aft.
1894. Westm. Gaz., 22 Feb., 5/1. The funnel had to be stayed.
2. To put (a ship) ‘in stays’ (see STAY sb.1 2 a); to put on the other tack.
a. 1625. Nomenclator Navalis (Harl. MS. 2301). To Stay or bring a Ship a Stay.
1633. T. James, Voy., 93. We turned amongst this Ice, staying the Ship sometimes within her length, of great pieces.
1644. Manwayring, Seamans Dict., To Stay, or, bring a Ship a-stay. When we tack the ship, before the ship can be ready to be tacked; she must come a-stayes or a back-stayes, that is, when wind comes in at the bowe which was the lee-bowe before, and so drives all the sailes backward, against the shrowds and masts, so that the ship hath no way, but drives with the broad-side: the manner of doing it is, [etc.].
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), To Bring a Ship upon the Stays or To stay her, is to manage her Tackle, and sails so that she cannot make any way forward, which is done in order to her Tacking.
1895. Daily News, 8 July, 8/6. The Prince’s cutter made a strong bid for the weather berth by crossing on the wrong tack, but Ailsa was stayed, and Carter’s game was spoiled.
3. intr. To go about in stays; to turn to windward in order to tack.
a. 1613. Ralegh, Let. Sceptick etc. (1651), 130. The extream length of a Ship makes her unapt to stay.
1628. Digby, Voy. Mediterr. (Camden), 5. Wee … made all hast we could to tacke about after them, but the sea went so high that it was long before we could make our shippe stay.
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine, II. (1780), Refuser, to fall off again, when in stays; expressed of a ship that will not go about, or stay.
1836. E. Howard, R. Reefer, xxxi. She has stayed within her own length.
1891. Daily News, 19 Oct., 6/7. The helm was put up, but the ship refused to stay.
