Mainstay Meaning
/ˈmeɪn.steɪ/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA chief support.
nounSomeone or something that can be depended on to make a regular contribution.
Sentence Examples
He was the mainstay of this family.
Food production is a mainstay of the country's economy.
CEFR Practice Quiz
Rice is the ____ of the diet in many Asian countries, providing most calories.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Tourism is the ____ of the local economy, providing most of the jobs and income for the people today.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English main stai, equivalent to main + stay (“rope”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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."
— 1945 November and December, H. C. Casserley, “Random Reflections on British Locomotive Types—1”, in Railway Magazine, page 319:
"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."
— 1959 November, J. N. Westwood, “The Railways of Canada”, in Trains Illustrated, page 555:
"Oil is the mainstay of Nigeria's economy."
— 2000, Jedrzej George Frynas, Oil in Nigeria, →ISBN:
"Conventional radiography has a major role in, and remains the mainstay of, initial evaluation and follow-up of rheumatologic disease."
— 2014, Marc C. Hochberg, Alan J. Silman, Josef S. Smolen, Rheumatology, →ISBN, page 307:
"On the Bishops Stortford line, the crisis now seems to be over; the units designed for this service are the mainstay of the workings once again and although some of the inner suburban sets are still seen, very few L.T.S. Line units are noticeable."
— 1963 January, “Motive power miscellany”, in Modern Railways, page 65:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
Rice is the ____ of the diet in many Asian countries, providing most calories.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Tourism is the ____ of the local economy, providing most of the jobs and income for the people today.