mast

[ mast, mahst ]

/ mæst, mɑst /

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noun

Nautical.

a spar or structure rising above the hull and upper portions of a ship or boat to hold sails, spars, rigging, booms, signals, etc., at some point on the fore-and-aft line, as a foremast or mainmast.
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.

verb (used with object)

to provide with a mast or masts.

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Idioms about mast

before the mast, Nautical. as an unlicensed sailor: He served several years before the mast.

Origin of mast

before 900; Middle English; Old English mæst; cognate with German Mast; akin to Latin mālus pole

OTHER WORDS FROM mast

mastless, adjectivemastlike, adjectiveun·der·mast·ed, adjective

Words nearby mast

masstige, mass transit, mass wasting, massy, Massys, mast, mastaba, mastadenitis, mastadenoma, Mastadenovirus, mastalgia

Other definitions for mast (2 of 3)

mast²

[ mast, mahst ]

/ mæst, mɑst /

noun

the fruit of the oak and beech or other forest trees, used as food for hogs and other animals.

Origin of mast

before 900; Middle English; Old English mæst; cognate with German Mast; akin to meat

Other definitions for mast (3 of 3)

mast-

variant of masto- before a vowel: mastectomy.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

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 Post
Its 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 Hub
There 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which is the rectangular chimney-like structure that sits atop every submarine, because the direct-view periscope has been replaced by camera-equipped optronic masts.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-Science
As 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|Time

This 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.
Anti-5G saboteurs raise alarm across Europe|David Meyer|October 19, 2020|Fortune
Bound together by mutual distrust, both sides end up lashing themselves to the mast of rigid law.
Red Tape Is Strangling Good Samaritans|Philip K. Howard|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The failure to fly a flag at half mast was widely interpreted as an expression of disrespect.
Inside The Palace Panic After Diana's Death|Tom Sykes|September 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Outside, somebody had taken care to lower the flags to half-mast.
The Resilient City: New York After 9/11|John Avlon|September 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Users include the Singapore navy: What small-warship commander would turn down a 1,000-foot mast?
Why Old-School Airships Now Rule Our Warzones|Bill Sweetman|June 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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|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 Kipling
Here and there, but far away, a mast or sail rose above the level surface of the marsh.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
I also put entirely new spars into her, and there stands her old mast.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller
The 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 Pfeiffer
While 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)

mast¹

/ (mɑːst) /

noun

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

verb

(tr) nautical to equip with a mast or masts

Derived forms of mast

mastless, adjectivemastlike, adjective

Word Origin for mast

Old English mæst; related to Middle Dutch mast and Latin mālus pole

British Dictionary definitions for mast (2 of 3)

mast²

/ (mɑːst) /

noun

the fruit of forest trees, such as beech, oak, etc, used as food for pigs

Word Origin for mast

Old English mæst; related to Old High German mast food, and perhaps to meat

British Dictionary definitions for mast (3 of 3)

mast-

combining form

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

Medical definitions for mast

mast-

pref.

Variant ofmasto-

Other Idioms and Phrases with mast

mast

see at half-mast.

mast

Idioms about mast

Origin of mast

OTHER WORDS FROM mast

Words nearby mast

Other definitions for mast (2 of 3)

Origin of mast

Other definitions for mast (3 of 3)

Words related to mast

How to use mast in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for mast (1 of 3)

Derived forms of mast

Word Origin for mast

British Dictionary definitions for mast (2 of 3)

Word Origin for mast

British Dictionary definitions for mast (3 of 3)

Medical definitions for mast

Other Idioms and Phrases with mast