[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/belay/)

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# belay

verb (belays, belayed, belaying); also a sailor's call (interjection: «belay!»); sailors' word

«belay» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. To belay a rope is to wind it round a post or pin so that it holds fast. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/belay/#m1)
2. («Belay!») Stop! Stop what you are doing. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/belay/#m2)

### In the lessons

in pirate songs and sea stories, a sailor's word for «stop» or «hold fast»

### Examples

- Belay that rope, lads! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/belay/#x1)
- «Avast, belay!» the captain shouted. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/belay/#x2)
- We belayed the sail so it would not blow loose. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/belay/#x3)

### Note

nothing for maths

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «belay» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/belay/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«belay» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/belay.html) on Mova free.