A nautical term meaning in the position of being hove to or held in place, or relating to the stays (cables) of a ship.
From nautical 'a-' prefix (on, at) plus 'stay' (a supporting rope or cable on a ship). Emerged from sailor vocabulary in the Age of Sail.
Sailors used 'a-' words like 'astay' as a shorthand language—instead of shouting long orders, 'astay!' told experienced sailors the entire status of the rigging in one word.
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