belay

English

Etymology

From Middle English beleggen, bileggen, from Old English belecgan (“to cover, invest, surround, afflict, attribute to, charge with, accuse”), equivalent to be- +‎ lay. Cognate with Dutch beleggen (“to cover, overlay, belay”), German belegen (“to cover, occupy, belay”), Swedish belägga (“to pave”).

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -eɪ

Verb

belay (third-person singular simple present belays, present participle belaying, simple past and past participle belayed or belaid)

1. (transitive, obsolete) To surround; environ; inclose.
2. (transitive, obsolete) To overlay; adorn.
3. (transitive, obsolete) To besiege; invest; surround.
4. (transitive, obsolete) To lie in wait for in order to attack; block up or obstruct.
5. (transitive) To make (a rope) fast by turning it round a fastening point such as a cleat or piton.
6. (transitive) To secure (a person) to a rope or (a rope) to a person.

   He would need an experienced partner to belay him on the difficult climbs.

7. (transitive) To lay aside; stop; cancel.

   I could only hope the remaining piton would belay his fall.

   Belay that order!

8. (intransitive, nautical) The general command to stop or cease.
9. (intransitive, nautical) To make a line fast by turns around a cleat, pin, or bitt.

Translations

to secure a rope to a cleat

• Bulgarian: навивам (bg) (navivam), притягам (bg) (pritjagam)

• Finnish: kiinnittää (fi)

general command to stop

• Bulgarian: стига (bg) (stiga), стоп (bg) (stop)
• German: beenden (de)

• Russian: отставить (ru) (otstavitʹ)

to secure (a climber or rope) to

• Bulgarian: осигурявам (bg) (osigurjavam)
• French: assurer (fr)

• German: sichern (de)
• Russian: подстраховывать (ru) (podstraxovyvatʹ)

Noun

belay (plural belays)

1. (climbing) The securing of a rope to a rock or other projection.
2. (climbing) The object to which a rope is secured.
3. (climbing) A location at which a climber stops and builds an anchor with which to secure his/or her partner.