maintop

American

[mayn-top] / ˈmeɪnˌtɒp /

noun

Nautical.

a platform at the head of the lower mainmast.

maintop British

/ ˈmeɪnˌtɒp /

noun

a top or platform at the head of the mainmast

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of maintop

First recorded in 1475–85; main ¹ + top ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

maintop

No, Warlock, but right up into the maintop crosstrees, where I could be as far as possible away from our own ship’s guns.

From Shireen and her Friends Pages from the Life of a Persian Cat by Gordon Stables

For a better reason Jack was made captain of the mizen-top, whence he might hopefully aspire to become captain of the maintop.

From Jack Buntline by William Henry Giles Kingston

“Hurrah!” he shouted again, this time flinging his cap in true Highland fashion half-way up to the maintop.

From The Cruise of the Snowbird A Story of Arctic Adventure by Gordon Stables

The mainmast had split, just below the maintop.

From Caribbee by Thomas Hoover

As for her, she had all sail set, and her skipper was at the helm, while Mate Brackett was in the maintop taking anxious observations.

From The Noank's Log A Privateer of the Revolution by W. O. Stoddard

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023