verb
belay
To cancel or disregard an order.
The captain calls out, “Belay that order; keep the boat alongside.”
Etymology
Belay developed a nautical sense of securing a rope and stopping its movement. As a command, that stopping idea extends to canceling an action or disregarding an order.
More examples
- The officer belayed the earlier instruction.
- She tells the crew to belay the command to depart.
- The captain is belaying orders that no longer fit the situation.
Forms
belay · belays · belayed · belaying
Similar words
- cancel
- The ordinary equivalent, without the nautical command association.
- disregard
- Means paying no attention rather than formally canceling an order.