mainstay

Definition

A chief support.

Etymology

From Middle English main stai, equivalent to main + stay (“rope”).

Example Sentences

• "Agriculture is the mainstay of this country’s economy."
• "At the other extreme, we have that true maid-of-all-work type, the 0-6-0, the mainstay of goods, shunting, and often of passenger work right from the earliest days to the present time."
• "As with most other railways, freight revenue is the mainstay of the balance sheet. In Canada, passenger revenue is only about one-tenth that of freight."