mast
1Nautical.
any of a number of individual spars composing such a structure, as a topmast supported on trestletrees at the head of a lower mast.
any of various portions of a single spar that are beside particular sails, as a top-gallant mast and royal mast formed as a single spar.
Also called pillar. the upright support of a jib crane.
any upright pole, as a support for an aerial, a post in certain cranes, etc.
to provide with a mast or masts.
Idioms about mast
before the mast, Nautical. as an unlicensed sailor: He served several years before the mast.
Origin of mast
1Other words from mast
- mast·less, adjective
- mast·like, adjective
- un·der·mast·ed, adjective
Words Nearby mast
Other definitions for mast (2 of 3)
the fruit of the oak and beech or other forest trees, used as food for hogs and other animals.
Origin of mast
2Other definitions for mast- (3 of 3)
variant of masto- before a vowel: mastectomy.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use mast in a sentence
I’m straining to see ahead and make sure I don’t hit a ship’s mast.
Taking to the skies in Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s ‘Wind, Sand and Stars’ | Mary Winston Nicklin | April 1, 2021 | Washington PostIts square base contains weights so it doesn’t tip over when lifting heavy boxes, and it “sees” its surroundings using cameras and sensors mounted on a mast that’s separate from its lifting arm.
Boston Dynamics’ New Warehouse Robot, Stretch, Moves 800 Boxes an Hour | Vanessa Bates Ramirez | March 31, 2021 | Singularity HubThere is no rear propellor in the traditional sense, and it has no need of a sail, which is the rectangular chimney-like structure that sits atop every submarine, because the direct-view periscope has been replaced by camera-equipped optronic masts.
Electric propulsion makes this French submarine concept extra sneaky | Christina Mackenzie | November 30, 2020 | Popular-ScienceAs a ship sails away from harbor, noted Sacrobosco, a lookout at the top of the mast will still be able to see land long after the sailors on deck have lost sight of it.
The Idea of the 'Dark Ages' Is a Myth. Here's Why Medieval Scientific Progress Still Matters | Seb Falk | November 17, 2020 | TimeThis has led some people to set telecom masts on fire—there were at least 140 arson attacks in the first half of the year—and to threaten the engineers who deploy 5G infrastructure.
Bound together by mutual distrust, both sides end up lashing themselves to the mast of rigid law.
The failure to fly a flag at half mast was widely interpreted as an expression of disrespect.
Outside, somebody had taken care to lower the flags to half-mast.
Users include the Singapore navy: What small-warship commander would turn down a 1,000-foot mast?
When Odysseus journeyed back from Troy, his men tied him to the mast of his ship when the Sirens tempted him to leave it.
War Nostalgia Is Leading Veterans to Places Like Syria. One Went Missing There. | Elliot Ackerman | May 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST"This organized conspiracy on your part," the capstan gurgled, taking his cue from the mast.
Kipling Stories and Poems Every Child Should Know, Book II | Rudyard KiplingHere and there, but far away, a mast or sail rose above the level surface of the marsh.
Ancestors | Gertrude AthertonI also put entirely new spars into her, and there stands her old mast.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building | George Laing MillerThe man was raving mad, and the captain was obliged to have him bound hand and foot, and chained to the mast.
A Woman's Journey Round the World | Ida PfeifferWhile it lasted flashes of lightning frequently played around the mast-top, occasioned by electricity.
A Woman's Journey Round the World | Ida Pfeiffer
British Dictionary definitions for mast (1 of 3)
/ (mɑːst) /
nautical any vertical spar for supporting sails, rigging, flags, etc, above the deck of a vessel or any components of such a composite spar
any sturdy upright pole used as a support
Also called: captain's mast nautical a hearing conducted by the captain of a vessel into minor offences of the crew
before the mast nautical as an apprentice seaman
(tr) nautical to equip with a mast or masts
Origin of mast
1Derived forms of mast
- mastless, adjective
- mastlike, adjective
British Dictionary definitions for mast (2 of 3)
/ (mɑːst) /
the fruit of forest trees, such as beech, oak, etc, used as food for pigs
Origin of mast
2British Dictionary definitions for mast- (3 of 3)
a variant of masto-
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
Other Idioms and Phrases with mast
see at half-mast.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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