mast
masts
A mast is a pole that rises vertically from a ship and supports the sails. Really big sailboats have more than one mast. A mast is also another name for flagpole.
The mast has an important job — to support the sails, which allows the wind to propel the ship. Other types of masts are used to support flags and called flagpoles. If you've ever seen a flag at half-mast, it's been lowered down the flagpole to show respect for someone who died. Mast is an old word meaning “pole or rod.”
Definitions of mast
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a vertical spar for supporting sails
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types:
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foremast
the mast nearest the bow in vessels with two or more masts
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jigger, jiggermast
any small mast on a sailing vessel; especially the mizzenmast of a yawl
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jury mast
a temporary mast to replace one that has broken off
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mainmast
the chief mast of a sailing vessel with two or more masts
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mizen, mizenmast, mizzen, mizzenmast
third mast from the bow in a vessel having three or more masts; the after and shorter mast of a yawl, ketch, or dandy
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topmast
the mast next above a lower mast and topmost in a fore-and-aft rig
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fore-topmast
the topmast next above the foremast
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main-topmast
the topmast next above the mainmast
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royal mast
topmast immediately above the topgallant mast
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topgallant, topgallant mast
a mast fixed to the head of a topmast on a square-rigged vessel
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type of:
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spar
a stout rounded pole of wood or metal used to support rigging
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any sturdy upright pole
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type of:
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pole
a long (usually round) rod of wood or metal or plastic
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pole
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nuts of forest trees (as beechnuts and acorns) accumulated on the ground
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type of:
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nut
usually large hard-shelled seed
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nut
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nuts of forest trees used as feed for swine
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘mast'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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