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.

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON PARENTHESES AND BRACKETS APLENTY!

Set some time apart to test your bracket symbol knowledge, and see if you can keep your parentheses, squares, curlies, and angles all straight!

Question 1 of 7

Let’s start with some etymology: What are the origins of the typographical word “bracket”?

First appeared around 1750, and is related to the French word “braguette” for the name of codpiece armor.

First appeared in 1610, based on the French word “baguette” for the long loaf of bread.

First appeared in 1555, and is related to the French word “raquette” for a netted bat.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms for 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

Definition 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

Definition 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. 2021

WORDS THAT USE MAST-

What does mast- mean?

Mast- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “breast.” It is often used in medical terms, especially in anatomy and pathology.

Mast- comes from the Greek mastós, meaning “breast.” The Latin-based analog to masto- is mammo-, from mamma, meaning “breast.”

Mast- is a variant of masto-, which loses its -o– when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels.

Want to know more? Read our Words That Use masto- article.

Examples of mast-

You may be familiar with the medical term mastectomy, “the operation of removing all or part of the breast or mamma.” The first part of the word, mast- means “breast,” as we’ve seen. The second part of the word, -ectomy, is a combining form meaning “excision.” Mastectomy literally translates to “breast removal.”

What are some words that use or are related to the combining form mast-?

mastadenoma
mastalgia
mastatrophy
mastitis
mastodynia
mastoid (using the equivalent form of masto- in Greek)
mastoiditis (based on mastoid)

What are some other forms that mast- may be commonly confused with?

The mast on a ship is unrelated to the combining form mast-, as are a number of other words that begin with the letters mast-, such as masticate. Chew over the origin of this word at our entry for it.

Also note that mast cells, from the German Mast (“fattening of animals for slaughter”), are not related to masto-. These cells give their name to such conditions as mastocytosis.

Break it down!

The combining form –algia means “pain.” What is mastalgia?

Example sentences from the Web for mast

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-

Idioms and Phrases with mast

mast

see at half-mast.

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