belay C2+ Topic:Space, Position & Direction US /bɪˈleɪ/ UK /bɪˈleɪ/ See IPA manual Minimal pairs Sounds like bewray /l/ vs /ɹ/ Sounds like beray /l/ vs /ɹ/ Meanings 1 verb to secure a rope around a fixed point; to stop or cancel Belay that order; we are no longer leaving port. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 verb · to secure a rope around a... securefastenfixmake faststopcancelhalt ↔ Opposites releaseloosenunfasten Word family Derived forms belayerbelaying Related forms lay Etymology AI details From Old English belecgan ('to lay around, cover, surround'), from be- + lecgan ('to lay'). The nautical sense 'to make a rope fast' developed in the 16th century. be- Old English lecgan Old English View etymology graph -> Topics Space, Position & Direction Word Formation & Derivatives External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # belay **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** verb **IPA (US):** /bɪˈleɪ/ **IPA (UK):** /bɪˈleɪ/ ## Meanings 1. to secure a rope around a fixed point; to stop or cancel ## Examples - Belay that order; we are no longer leaving port. ## Synonyms - secure - fasten - fix - make fast - stop - cancel - halt ## Antonyms - release - loosen - unfasten ## Derived Forms - belayer - belaying ## Related Forms - lay ## Roots and Affixes - Root: be- - Root: lecgan ## Etymology From Old English belecgan ('to lay around, cover, surround'), from be- + lecgan ('to lay'). The nautical sense 'to make a rope fast' developed in the 16th century. ## AI Etymology Belay is from Old English belecgan ('to lay around, cover, surround'), from be- + lecgan ('to lay'). The nautical sense 'to make a rope fast' developed in the 16th century. Important recorded forms include be- (Old English) and lecgan (Old English). Morphologically, the word is a built form whose named elements carry part of the historical sense. The current sense covers to secure a rope around a fixed point; to stop or cancel. The wider family includes derived forms such as belayer and belaying and related words such as lay. ## Topics - Space, Position & Direction - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown