mizzen

1 of 2

noun

miz·​zen ˈmi-zᵊn How to pronounce mizzen (audio)
variants or less commonly mizen
1
: a fore-and-aft sail set on the mizzenmast
2

mizzen

2 of 2

adjective

variants or less commonly mizen
: of or relating to the mizzenmast

Examples of mizzen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The owner’s favorite place to be is the aft deck, which has a projector installed on the mizzen boom for a home-cinema feel. Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 27 Jan. 2023 The deck is also uncluttered thanks to the reasonably sized captive winches, along with roller furling systems for the headsails and boomfurling for the mizzen and mainsails. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2022 To me, this ship has a history and a story in its own right,’’ 32-year-old Don Heminitz said the other day while at work on the mizzen shrouds, which to a landlubber like me are ropes that help support the masts. BostonGlobe.com, 30 Oct. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mizzen.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English mesan, probably from Old Spanish mesana sail set amidships, from Catalan mitjana, from feminine of mitjan of the middle, from Latin medianus — more at median

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mizzen was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near mizzen

Cite this Entry

“Mizzen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mizzen. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

mizzen

1 of 2 noun
miz·​zen
variants also mizen
1
: a fore-and-aft sail set on the mizzenmast
2

mizzen

2 of 2 adjective
variants also mizen
: of or relating to the mizzenmast
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