mast

¹ American  

[mast, mahst] / mæst, mɑst /

noun

1. Nautical.

   1. 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.

   2. any of a number of individual spars composing such a structure, as a topmast supported on trestletrees at the head of a lower mast.

   3. 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.

2. Also called pillar.  the upright support of a jib crane.

3. any upright pole, as a support for an aerial, a post in certain cranes, etc.

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verb (used with object)

1. to provide with a mast or masts.

idioms

1. before the mast, as an unlicensed sailor.

   He served several years before the mast.

mast ² American  

[mast, mahst] / mæst, mɑst /

noun

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

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mast- ³ American  

1. variant of masto- before a vowel.

   mastectomy.

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mast ¹ British  

/ mɑːst /

noun

1. nautical any vertical spar for supporting sails, rigging, flags, etc, above the deck of a vessel or any components of such a composite spar

2. any sturdy upright pole used as a support

3. Also called: captain's mast.  nautical a hearing conducted by the captain of a vessel into minor offences of the crew

4. nautical as an apprentice seaman

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verb

1. (tr) nautical to equip with a mast or masts

mast ² British  

/ mɑːst /

noun

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

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mast- ³ British  

combining form

1. a variant of masto-

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mast More Idioms  

1. see at half-mast.

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Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

• mastless adjective
• mastlike adjective
• undermasted adjective

Etymology

Origin of mast¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English mæst; cognate with Dutch mast, German Mast; akin to Latin mālus “pole”

Origin of mast²

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English mæst; cognate with German Mast “food”; akin to meat

Example Sentences

Its rigorous order and deep perspective, enhanced by the receding lines of ship masts and rail tracks along the expansive quay, address his motif in a style apropos of its modern subject.

From The Wall Street Journal

The 2024 crash was caused by "an encounter with turbulence due to downdraft winds that resulted in mast bumping and an inflight breakup", a report by the National Transportation Safety Board said.

From BBC

The Fed didn’t always nail its colors to a predictive mast.

From The Wall Street Journal

It operates like a mobile phone mast in space, using a constellation of satellites to communicate with small dishes on the ground that have a built-in WiFi router.

From BBC

Evidence showed the phone's last communication was sent to a telecoms mast in nearby Burwell.

From BBC

Related Words

• pole