verb / noun
belay
bih-LAY/bɪˈleɪ/
Securing a climber with a rope.
Her partner belays her carefully as she climbs the steep rock face.
Etymology
“Lay about” connects with securing a rope around a cleat or pin, a nautical use transferred to climbing. This rope-handling sense may instead come from the Dutch cognate beleggen.
In context
if you're already comfortable laying on top rope and you want to learn how to belay a lead climber check out our video on lead belaying
More examples
- They check the belay before the next ascent.
- An experienced climber belayed the beginners.
- He concentrates fully while belaying his partner.
Forms
belay · belays · belayed · belaying