mizzenmast

or miz·en·mast

[ miz-uhn-mast, -mahst; Nautical miz-uhn-muhst ]

nounNautical.
  1. the third mast from forward in a vessel having three or more masts.

  2. the after and shorter mast of a yawl, ketch, or dandy; jiggermast.

Origin of mizzenmast

1
First recorded in 1375–1425, mizzenmast is from late Middle English meson mast. See mizzen, mast1

Words Nearby mizzenmast

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use mizzenmast in a sentence

  • He set the noose firmly upon his shoulders, leaped up, and caught at the hoops on the mizzenmast.

    Blow The Man Down | Holman Day
  • The schooner was tossed about like a toy, and the mizzenmast was sprung so that no sail could be rigged on it.

  • The Confederate commissioner came on deck; and Christy looked at him with interest from behind the mizzenmast.

    Fighting for the Right | Oliver Optic
  • A well-aimed shot cut away the mizzenmast, which fell alongside, suspended by the cordage.

  • Fresh water, in small quantities, they were able to obtain by holding a cover of a tureen under the saddle of the mizzenmast.

British Dictionary definitions for mizzenmast

mizzenmast

mizenmast

/ (ˈmɪzənˌmɑːst, nautical ˈmɪzənməst) /


nounnautical
  1. (on a yawl, ketch, or dandy) the after mast

  2. (on a vessel with three or more masts) the third mast from the bow

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