Meaning & use
guy wire
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountabletechnical
A strong cable fixed from the top or side of a tall structure to the ground to hold it upright against wind or other forces.
Grammar: Has a plural: guy wires. Sometimes written guy-wire or guywire.
Patterns
- a guy wire to something
- anchor a guy wire
Three guy wires kept the radio tower steady in the storm.
A worker tightened the guy wire that ran from the pole to a concrete block.
Hikers tripped on a guy wire hidden in the long grass.
Word forms
| plural | guy wires |
|---|
Common combinations
- tighten a guy wire
- He tightened each guy wire until the mast stood straight.
- anchor a guy wire
- The crew anchored the guy wire to a post sunk in the ground.
- guy wire tension
- Guy wire tension must be checked after every storm.
- snap a guy wire
- Ice snapped a guy wire and the antenna leaned over.
- supported by guy wires
- The tall chimney is supported by guy wires on all sides.
Synonyms and how they differ
- guy line
- Guy line is the same idea but usually refers to a rope on a tent or boat, whereas guy wire suggests metal cable on a pole or tower.
- stay
- Stay is a more specialized word, mainly used on ships and masts, and is less familiar to most readers.
- brace
- A brace can be any support, including a rigid bar, while a guy wire is always a flexible cable under tension.
Word family
- guy noun
- a rope or cable that steadies something
- guy line noun
- a rope that holds a tent or mast steady
- guyed adjective
- held up by guy wires, as in a guyed tower
Commonly confused: guy wire or guy?
guy wire vs guy
The everyday word guy means a man and is unrelated in meaning, although it is spelled and pronounced the same as the guy in guy wire.
Practice
What is a guy wire mainly used for?
Choose one answer.
A guy wire is a tensioned cable that steadies a tall structure. Some wires carry power, but a guy wire does not.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “guy wire”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.