Definition

Noun: A strong cable, wire, or rope that is anchored to the ground and attached to a tall structure (like a mast, pole, tower, or tent) to provide stability and hold it securely in place against the force of the wind.

Usage

A guy wire is a tensioned cable used as a structural support. It is a critical component for ensuring the stability of freestanding vertical objects. The primary function is to brace and steady the structure. - The radio tower is secured by several guy wires anchored in concrete blocks. - Before the storm, we checked all the guy wires on the communications mast. - The tent was much more stable after we tightened its guy wires.

Advanced Usage

• Engineering Context: In civil and structural engineering, guy wires are essential for temporary structures like construction cranes and permanent ones like utility poles and wind turbines. They are designed to handle specific tensile loads.
• "To guy" (verb): The act of securing or steadying a structure with guy wires.
  • The crew will guy the new flagpole tomorrow.

Variants and Related Words

• Guy rope: A more general term, often used interchangeably with "guy wire," though "rope" may imply a fiber material rather than metal cable. Commonly used for tents and temporary structures.
• Stay: A similar supporting wire or rod, but the term often implies a more integral or permanent part of a structure's rigging (e.g., on a ship's mast or a suspension bridge).
• Brace: A more general term for any structural support that steadies or strengthens.
• Anchor: The fixed point or device to which the guy wire is attached.

Synonyms

• Stay
• Support cable
• Bracing wire
• Shroud (specifically for the supporting ropes or wires on a ship's mast)

Related Phrases

• Guyed tower/mast: A tall structure that derives its stability from guy wires.
  • The transmission tower is a guyed mast, which makes it lighter and cheaper to build than a free-standing one.

Noun

1. a cable, wire, or rope that is used to brace something (especially a tent)