Meanings
nounheadstay (plural headstays)
plural headstays
- nauticalSynonym of forestay.
The more the backstay is tightened, the less the headstay will sag off to leeward, forming a rigid and more efficient arc along the luff of the genoa while beating to weather.
1982 January, Jerry Cartwright, “Cruising Seamanship”, in Motorboating & Sailing, volume 149, number 2, page 23Synonyms: forestay
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSynonym of forestay.
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Cite this entry
APA
headstay. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/headstay
MLA
“headstay.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/headstay. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “headstay,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/headstay.
Source: headstay on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.