fore-topmast

American

[fawr-top-mast, -mahst, fohr-, fawr-top-muhst, fohr-] / ˌfɔrˈtɒpˌmæst, -ˌmɑst, ˌfoʊr-, ˌfɔrˈtɒp məst, ˌfoʊr- /

noun

the spar or section of a pole mast serving as the topmast of a foremast on a ship.

fore-topmast British

/ fɔːˈtɒpməst, fɔːˈtɒpˌmɑːst /

noun

nautical a mast stepped above a foremast

"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 fore-topmast

First recorded in 1620–30

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.

A shell had shattered the fore-topmast, the debris falling athwart the steel canopy protecting the range-finding officers.

From Project Gutenberg

They were too far away to hear the crash as it struck the fore-topmast, but the fall of the mast and the confusion on the ship were plainly visible.

From Project Gutenberg

As it was blowing heavily towards night, the fore-topmast of the Trumbull was carried away by a squall, bringing down with it, on deck, the main-topgallant mast.

From Project Gutenberg

The storm came on quite suddenly, and almost before we had time to strike our still-standing fore-topmast, and veer out all our cable.

From Project Gutenberg

Even with the naked eye they soon could see that her bulwarks were badly battered, and that her fore-topmast had been carried away.

From Project Gutenberg

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