masting

[mas-ting, mah-sting]

noun Nautical.

the masts of a ship, taken as a whole.

the technique, act, or process of placing masts in sailing ships.

Origin of masting

First recorded in 1620–30; mast¹ + -ing¹

mast

[mast, mahst]

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.

Idioms

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

Related formsmast·less, adjectivemast·like, adjectiveun·der·mast·ed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for masting

Historical Examples of masting

There are also hulks for convicts, and for masting, as sheer-hulk.
The Sailor's Word-Book
William Henry Smyth
I do not know how far the masting was consonant to his wishes.
From Sail to Steam, Recollections of Naval Life
Captain A. T. Mahan
The peculiar style of her masting had drawn his attention to her.
The Flag of Distress
Mayne Reid
The consideration of the “masting” industry will be taken up in the next chapter.
Glimpses of the Past
W. O. Raymond
The masting business was a very important one in the early days of New Brunswick.
Glimpses of the Past
W. O. Raymond

British Dictionary definitions for masting

mast

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 Formsmastless, adjectivemastlike, adjective

Word Origin for mast

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

mast

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

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

Word Origin and History for masting

mast

n.1

"long pole on a ship to support the sail," Old English mæst, from Proto-Germanic *mastaz (cf. Old Norse mastr, Middle Dutch maste, Dutch, Danish mast, German Mast), from PIE *mazdo- "a pole, rod" (cf. Latin malus "mast," Old Irish matan "club," Irish maide "a stick," Old Church Slavonic mostu "bridge"). The single mast of an old ship was the boundary between quarters of officers and crew, hence before the mast in the title of Dana's book, etc.

mast

n.2

"fallen nuts; food for swine," Old English mæst, from Proto-Germanic *masto (cf. Dutch, Old High German, German mast "mast;" Old English verb mæsten "to fatten, feed"), perhaps from PIE *mad-sta-, from root *mad- "moist, wet," also used of various qualities of food (cf. Sanskrit madati "it bubbles, gladdens," medah "fat, marrow;" Latin madere "be sodden, be drunk;" Middle Persian mast "drunk;" Old English mete "food," Old High German muos "meal, mushlike food," Gothic mats "food").

Idioms and Phrases with masting

mast

see at half-mast.