Mast

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Mast, n. [AS. mæst, fem.; akin to G. mast, and E. meat. See Meat.].

 The fruit of the oak and beech, or other forest trees; nuts; acorns.  [1913 Webster]
"Oak mast, and beech, . . . they eat."  [1913 Webster]
"Swine under an oak filling themselves with the mast."  [1913 Webster]

Mast, n. [AS. mæst, masc.; akin to D., G., Dan., & Sw. mast, Icel. mastr, and perh. to L. malus.].

•  A pole, or long, strong, round piece of timber, or spar, set upright in a boat or vessel, to sustain the sails, yards, rigging, etc. A mast may also consist of several pieces of timber united by iron bands, or of a hollow pillar of iron or steel.  [1913 Webster]

  " The most common general names of masts are foremast, mainmast, and mizzenmast, each of which may be made of separate spars."  [1913 Webster]

  "The tallest pine
  Hewn on Norwegian hills, to be the mast
  Of some great ammiral.<--sic-->"  [1913 Webster]
•  The vertical post of a derrick or crane.  [1913 Webster]
•  A spar or strut to which tie wires or guys are attached for stiffening purposes.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

Afore the mast, Before the mast. See under Afore, and Before. -- Mast coat. See under Coat. -- Mast hoop, one of a number of hoops attached to the fore edge of a boom sail, which slip on the mast as the sail is raised or lowered; also, one of the iron hoops used in making a made mast. See Made.

Mast, v. t. 

 To furnish with a mast or masts; to put the masts of in position; as, to mast a ship.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Mast, n. & v.
--n.
1 a long upright post of timber, iron, etc., set up on a ship's keel, esp. to support sails.
2 a post or lattice-work upright for supporting a radio or television aerial.
3 a flag-pole (half-mast).
4 (in full mooring-mast) a strong steel tower to the top of which an airship can be moored.
--v.tr. furnish (a ship) with masts.

Idiom

before the mast serving as an ordinary seaman (quartered in the forecastle).

Derivative

masted adj. (also in comb.). master n. (also in comb.).

Mast, n. the fruit of the beech, oak, chestnut, and other forest-trees, esp. as food for pigs.

Etymology

OE m{aelig}st f. WG, prob. rel. to MEAT

THESAURUS

Mast

advocate, alpenstock, antenna tower, arm, athletic supporter, back, backbone, backing, bandeau, barbican, bare pole, bearer, belfry, bell tower, boom, bowsprit, bra, brace, bracer, bracket, brassiere, bumpkin, buttress, campanile, cane, carrier, cervix, club, colossus, column, corset, crook, crossjack yard, crosstree, crutch, cupola, derrick, dolphin striker, dome, fire tower, flying jib boom, fore jack, fore-skysail mast, fore-skysail yard, fore-topgallant mast, fore-topgallant yard, fore-topmast, foremast, foreroyal mast, foreroyal yard, foreyard, foundation garment, fulcrum, gaff, girdle, gooseneck, guy, guywire, jack, jib boom, jock, jockstrap, king post, lantern, lazy jack, lighthouse, lower boom, main-royal mast, main-royal yard, main-skysail mast, main-topgallant mast, mainmast, mainstay, maintainer, martello, martello tower, masthead, minaret, mizzen, mizzen-royal mast, mizzenmast, monument, neck, obelisk, observation tower, pagoda, pilaster, pillar, pinnacle, pole, prop, pylon, pyramid, reinforce, reinforcement, reinforcer, rest, resting place, rigging, shaft, shoulder, shroud, skysail yard, skyscraper, spanker boom, spanker gaff, spar, spars, spine, spire, spreader, sprit, staff, standing rigging, standpipe, stave, stay, steeple, stick, stiffener, strengthener, stupa, support, supporter, sustainer, tack bumpkin, television mast, timber, tope, topgallant mast, topgallant yard, topmast, tour, tower, tree, turret, upholder, walking stick, water tower, whisker boom, whisker pole, windmill tower, yard, yardarm