mast

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈmast 

1

: a long pole or spar rising from the keel or deck of a ship and supporting the yards, booms, and rigging

2

: a slender vertical or nearly vertical structure (such as an upright post in various cranes)

3

: a disciplinary proceeding at which the commanding officer of a naval unit hears and disposes of cases against enlisted men

called also captain's mast

masted

ˈma-stəd 

adjective

see also:

before the mast

mast

2 of 3

verb

masted; masting; masts

transitive verb

: to furnish with a mast

mast

3 of 3

noun (2)

: fruits, seeds, or nuts (such as berries, pine seeds, or acorns) of trees or shrubs that serve as food for wild or domestic animals and typically accumulate on the ground

Examples of mast in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The town of some 3,000 inhabitants declared three days of mourning with flags at half mast at the town hall. — ABC News, 5 Nov. 2026

Mast’s fall could trigger explosion The mast had remained visible above the water near Sheerness, a coastal town about 50 miles (80 km) east of London on the Thames Estuary, since the ship sank in 1944. — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2026

Verb

Nassau County Exec Bruce Blakeman refuses to lower county flags half mast for Carter. — Dan Perry, Newsweek, 4 Jan. 2025

The salvage plans include ensuring that the hull, doors and mast stay intact to aid in the investigation. — Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, 1 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English mæst; akin to Old High German mast mast, Latin malus

Noun (2)

Middle English, from Old English mæst; akin to Old High German mast food, mast, and probably to Old English mete food — more at meat

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1513, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing mast

• before the mast
• captain's mast
• half-mast
• mast cell
• mast year

Rhymes for mast

• bast
• blast
• cast
• caste
• classed
• clast
• fast
• gassed
• gast
• glassed
• grassed
• hast

Kids Definition

mast

noun

ˈmast

1

: a long pole that rises from the bottom of a ship or boat and supports the sails and rigging

2

: an upright tall pole (as on a crane)

masted

ˈmas-təd

adjective

Medical Definition

MAST

abbreviation

military anti-shock trousers