word of the day: belay

The word of the day is belay:

Etymology:  Old English bi- , belęcgan < Germanic *bilagjan, in Old High German bileckan , bilegen , modern German belegen , Dutch beleggen ; < bi- , be- prefix + lagjan , in Old English lęcgan to lay v.¹
5.a. Naut. To coil a running rope round a cleat, belaying pin, or kevel, so as to fasten or secure it; to fasten by so putting it round. Said especially of one of the small ropes, used for working the sails. Also in Mountaineering. (OED)


"After an hour, Steck and the others reached the level of Camp 3, where they would have to traverse the face to get to their tent, which meant they needed to cross over the fixed line.  They chose a spot where four Sherpas were at the belay, below the lead fixer, and moved slowly past them, taking care, Steck says, not to touch the ropes with their crampons or to kick chunks of ice onto the Sherpas working below."

 - Nick Paumgarten, "The manic mountain: Ueli Steck and the clash on Everest", 3 June 2013 The New Yorker