[f. BACK a. or sb.]
1. Naut. (often pl.) Long ropes, slanting a little abaft, extending from the upper mast-heads to both sides or to the ‘channels’ of the ship, where they are fastened to backstay-plates; they serve to second the shrouds in supporting the masts under a press of sail. Backstay-stools: small ‘channels’ fixed abaft the principal ones for receiving the backstays. Cf. ABACKSTAYS, ASTAYS.
1626. Capt. Smith, Accid. Yng. Seamen, 29. The ships at stayes, at backe-stayes. Ibid. (1627), Seaman’s Gram., ix. 42. He will lay her by the lee, the staies, or backestaies, that is, when all the sailes … are not kept full … they fall upon the masts and shrowds, so that the ship goes a drift upon her broad side.
1709. Lond. Gaz., No. 4521/2. Our Shrouds and Back-stays cut to pieces.
1833. Marryat, P. Simple (1863), 115. The captain of the maintop reports the breast backstay much chafed.
2. gen. A stay or support at the back; e.g., in Printing, a leather strap used to check the carriage of a printing-press.
1864. Stephens, in N. & Q., V. 313. England’s shield, ally, and backstay Is the Scandia whence she issued.
1879. Carriage Build., in Cassell’s Techn. Educ., IV. 175/2. The wheel-iron, bed-clip, and back-stay being in one.
