mainstay
Reliable central element
A mainstay is a principal support—the thing or person that holds something together or keeps it going.
A business might be the mainstay of a local economy; a reliable employee might be the mainstay of a department: Coffee has been the mainstay of the Colombian export economy.
The word comes from sailing, where the mainstay is the rope supporting the mainmast.
Upright architectural support
- foundationUnderlying support structure
- cornerstoneFoundational building block
- bedrockSolid stone underground
- backboneVertebral column, or courage
keystone · linchpin · buttress · anchor · prop · underpinning · stabilizer · bolster
Basic dietary necessity
- essentialFundamentally necessary
- necessityIndispensable requirement
- fundamentalForming the base
- coreCentral essential portion
centerpiece · lifeblood · bread-and-butter · workhorse · standby · go-to · fixture · institution
Worthy of trust
- trustworthyWorthy of confidence
- consistentNot varying or contradicting
- steadyFixed, not fluctuating
- steadfastFirmly loyal, unshakeable
faithful · staunch · unwavering · loyal · stalwart · reliable · unfailing · durable
pillar
Upright architectural support
- foundationUnderlying support structure
- cornerstoneFoundational building block
- bedrockSolid stone underground
backbone · keystone · linchpin · buttress · anchor · prop · underpinning · stabilizer · bolster · crutch
staple
Basic dietary necessity
- essentialFundamentally necessary
- necessityIndispensable requirement
- fundamentalForming the base
core · centerpiece · lifeblood · bread-and-butter · workhorse · standby · go-to · fixture · institution · constant
dependable
Worthy of trust
- trustworthyWorthy of confidence
- consistentNot varying or contradicting
- steadyFixed, not fluctuating
steadfast · faithful · staunch · unwavering · loyal · stalwart · reliable · unfailing · durable · stable
rigging
Ropes controlling ship sails
mainsheet · bowsprit · jib · sloop · ketch · yawl · schooner · mizzen · gaff · block
- importanceimportance, significance, consequence, weight, gravity
- supportersfan, patron, supporters, backers, backer
- dependable peoplerock, stalwart, pillar, backbone, right-hand man
- support metaphorsrock, pillar, backbone, bedrock, safety net
- workhorsesmule, ox, donkey, draft horse, plow horse
- reliabilityreliable, dependable, trustworthy, consistent, faithful
mainstayafterthought
Idea added belatedly
nonessential · incidental · footnote · accessory · extra
mainstayliability
Legal or financial obligation
weak link · underminer · Achilles heel · vulnerability · assail