# belay

> English word · Verb · IPA /bɪˈleɪ/ · frequency rank #57,237

## Definitions
1. To make (a rope) fast by turning it around a fastening point such as a cleat.
2. To handle a climbing rope to prevent (a climber) from falling to the ground.
3. To lay aside; to stop; to cancel.
4. The general command to stop or cease.
5. To surround; to environ; to enclose.
6. To overlay; to adorn.
7. To besiege; invest; surround.
8. To lie in wait for in order to attack; block up or obstruct.

## Etymology
From Middle English beleggen, bileggen, from Old English beleċġan (“to cover, invest, surround, afflict, attribute to, charge with, accuse”), From Proto-West Germanic *bilaggjan, equivalent to be- (“about, around”) + lay. Cognate with Dutch beleggen (“to cover, overlay, belay”), German belegen (“to cover, occupy, belay”), Swedish belägga (“to pave”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/belay