1. A stay for racing or cruising vessels used to steady the mast against the strain of the gaff.
2. A rope, rod, or batten along the upper side of a yard, gaff, or boom to which a sail is fastened.
3. A rope or rod running vertically on the forward side of the mast on which the yard moves.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.