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foremast

American

[fawr-mast, -mahst, fohr-, fawr-muhst, fohr-] / ˈfɔrˌmæst, -ˌmɑst, ˈfoʊr-, ˈfɔr məst, ˈfoʊr- /

noun

Nautical.

the mast nearest the bow in all vessels having two or more masts. mast.

foremast British

/ ˈfɔːməst, ˈfɔːˌmɑːst /

noun

the mast nearest the bow on vessels with two or more masts

"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 foremast

First recorded in 1575–85; fore- + mast 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.

Scans of the wreck, including the hold, foremast and bow, matched features marked in drawings of the ship.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2023

You could swim in the extremely cold water or go up the ship’s foremast in a safety harness, but these are hardly epic adventures.

From The Guardian • Jul. 28, 2018

For instance, Luebke adds, the President's flag has historically flown at the mainmast while a different flag for the Vice President is flown at the slightly shorter foremast.

From Time • Oct. 13, 2017

Milnor, the South Carolinan, lay asleep on a pile of sails at the foot of the foremast.

From Scientific American • Aug. 11, 2011

She’d been thinking about herself, not Nico, but she followed Frank’s gaze to the top of the foremast, where Nico was perched on the yardarm.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

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