masthead

American  

[mast-hed, mahst-] / ˈmæstˌhɛd, ˈmɑst- /

noun

1. Also called flag. a statement printed in all issues of a newspaper, magazine, or the like, usually on the editorial page, giving the publication's name, the names of the owner and staff, etc.

2. Also called nameplate. a line of type on the front page of a newspaper or the cover of a periodical giving the name of the publication.

3. Nautical.

   1. the head of a mast.

   2. the uppermost point of a mast.

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verb (used with object)

Nautical.

• mastheads,
  present (3rd person singular)
• mastheaded,
  past participle,  past
• mastheading
  present participle

1. to hoist a yard to the fullest extent.

2. to hoist to the truck of a mast, as a flag.

3. to send to the upper end of a mast as a punishment.

adjective

1. Nautical. run up to the head of a mast.

   masthead rig.

masthead British  

/ ˈmɑːstˌhɛd /

noun

1. nautical

   1. the head of a mast

   2. ( as modifier )

      masthead sail

2. Also called: flag. the name of a newspaper or periodical, its proprietors, staff, etc, printed in large type at the top of the front page

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verb

1. to send (a sailor) to the masthead as a punishment

2. to raise (a sail) to the masthead

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

• mastheading
  present
• mastheaded
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• masthead
  simple
• mastheads
  simple
• have mastheaded
  perfect
• has mastheaded
  perfect
• am mastheading
  progressive
• are mastheading
  progressive
• is mastheading
  progressive
• have been mastheading
  perfect progressive
• has been mastheading
  perfect progressive

Past

• mastheaded
  simple
• had mastheaded
  perfect
• was mastheading
  progressive
• were mastheading
  progressive
• had been mastheading
  perfect progressive

Future

• will masthead
  simple
• will have mastheaded
  perfect
• will be mastheading
  progressive
• will have been mastheading
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of masthead

First recorded in 1740–50; mast ¹ + head

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Explanation

In publishing, a masthead is a list at the top of a page that includes the names of editors, writers, and owners, as well as the title of the newspaper or magazine. You'll usually find the masthead on one of the first few pages. In the UK, a masthead is slightly different: it's the title page, also known in the US as the "nameplate." American publications include editorial and ownership information on the masthead, while their British counterparts call this the "imprint." The sense of a masthead as the "top of a newspaper or magazine" comes from the word's original meaning, "top of a ship," from mast, "long pole that holds a ship's sail."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

masthead mastheads mastheaded

Outside the masthead of The Atlantic, no one better represents this political tendency better than James Carville.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

More than a year after he bought the Times, Soon-Shiong met with masthead editors, discussing the paper’s plans over Chinese takeout.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026

The lowest name on her entertainment magazine’s masthead, Ariel hopes that writing about famous people will get some of their shine to bounce back on her.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 28, 2025

And when it arrived, 10 days later, in its crisp envelope and printed on thick white paper complete with an official government masthead - I felt weirdly satisfied, almost vindicated.

From BBC ● Mar. 19, 2024

All twenty-three kids in Mr. Larson’s afternoon class had wanted their names in the masthead, and each had done something to help get the Guardian pulled together in record time.

From "The Landry News" by Andrew Clements

Open AI will be allowed to display content from News Corp. mastheads in response to user questions and to enhance its products.

From Seattle Times ● May 23, 2024

Some of these jobs have begun to go extinct, at least on official mastheads.

From Slate ● Apr. 12, 2023

He wrote: "Like other mastheads do every day, we simply asked questions and as standard practice included a deadline for a response."

From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2022

Front office mastheads are swollen with key executives.

From New York Times ● Sep. 28, 2021

They were a gay and hopeful band, while their bright banners floated proudly from the mastheads, and waved in the western winds.

From The Story of Our Country Every Child Can Read by Jesse Lyman Hurlbut

Under the lee of the stone warehouse, on the solidity of the wharf, the land, Roger Brevard watched the Nautilus while one by one the topsails were sheeted home and the yards mastheaded.

From Java Head by Joseph Hergesheimer

And in this stretch of ocean, lookouts were mastheaded at day-dawn and kept mastheaded until twilight of evening, when the Mary Turner was hove-to, to hold her position through the night. 

From Michael, Brother of Jerry by Jack London

In the fork, like a mastheaded seaman, there stood a man in a green tabard, spying far and wide The two lads stood looking at each other.

From The Black Arrow A Tale of the Two Roses by Robert Louis Stevenson

Your yards stay mastheaded mostly by force o' habit, hey?

From Mr. Trunnell, Mate of the Ship "Pirate" by T. Jenkins (Thornton Jenkins) Hains

Tail on again, my hearties, and let us get this yard mastheaded, then our heavy work will be done for the present.

From Overdue The Story of a Missing Ship by W. Herbert Holloway

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