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A word for an upright support on ships, towers, and flags, plus a separate ecology term for forest nuts and fruit, and a rare verb meaning to fit something with a mast.
Examples Crew members climbed the mast to fix the rigging.
The case was too serious for mast and went higher.
Workers masted the signal structure before installing the antenna.
The camera was mounted on a telescopic mast .
A poor mast crop can leave squirrels short of food.
Similar words equip
acorns
tower
flagpole
office hours
furnish
nonjudicial punishment
fit
install
captain's mast
Meanings Usage Use mast for a ship's sail-bearing pole first, and also for radio, phone, flag, or equipment supports when that is the normal term.
Examples The yacht's mast snapped in the storm.
Crew members climbed the mast to fix the rigging.
A radio mast stood on the hill above the village.
The flag was lowered to half-mast after the announcement.
The camera was mounted on a telescopic mast .
Three masts rose above the deck of the old ship.
Engineers inspected the phone mast after the gale.
Common mistakes The word is often used too broadly for any pole, or confused with nearby ship parts such as the boom or yard.
Incorrect Correct The school raised its mast in the playground.
The school raised its flagpole in the playground.
The mast swung across the deck to control the sail.
The boom swung across the deck to control the sail.
The mast are made of carbon fibre.
The mast is made of carbon fibre.
The yacht lost its antenna mast and could not hold the sail.
The yacht lost its sailing mast and could not hold the sail.
Similar words pole
spar
tower
flagpole
aerial support
upright
post
Usage Use mast in ecology and forestry for seasonal tree fruit used by animals, especially acorns, beechnuts, and similar forest food.
Examples Oaks produced heavy mast after the wet spring.
Wild boar searched the woodland floor for mast .
A poor mast crop can leave squirrels short of food.
Foresters tracked mast production across the valley.
Acorns are one of the best-known forms of hard mast .
Bird numbers rose after two strong mast years.
Bears moved downhill when the mast failed higher up.
Common mistakes This sense is often mistaken for any animal feed or for a single kind of nut rather than a whole forest-food crop.
Incorrect Correct The farmer poured mast into the trough.
The farmer poured feed into the trough.
Mast means only acorns.
Mast includes acorns, beechnuts, berries, and other tree or shrub fruit.
The deer ate mast from the wheat field.
The deer ate mast from the oak woods.
A mast year is a year with many ship poles.
A mast year is a year when trees produce an unusually heavy crop of nuts or fruit.
Similar words forest fruit
tree nuts
acorns
beechnuts
seeds
berries
forage
Usage Use mast or captain's mast in naval contexts, since outside that setting the word is likely to be read as a pole or tower.
Examples The sailor was ordered to appear at mast the next morning.
Minor offences may be handled at captain's mast .
The commanding officer reviewed the evidence during mast .
He accepted nonjudicial punishment at mast .
The notice listed three sailors for mast .
Witnesses waited outside before the mast began.
The case was too serious for mast and went higher.
Common mistakes The naval sense is often missed because it appears mainly in the fixed phrase captain's mast .
Incorrect Correct The sailor climbed the captain's mast for discipline.
The sailor went to captain's mast for discipline.
Mast is any court case in the navy.
Mast is a commanding officer's disciplinary proceeding.
The officer held a mast to repair the rigging.
The officer held mast to hear a disciplinary matter.
The crew lowered the mast after the charge.
The crew member appeared at mast after the charge.
Similar words captain's mast
disciplinary hearing
nonjudicial punishment
office hours
Usage Use mast as a verb only in technical or historical maritime writing, where rig or fit with a mast would often be clearer.
Examples The shipyard masted the schooner before fitting the sails.
A small cutter can be masted by a skilled crew.
They will mast the replica vessel next month.
The boat was masted with a single aluminium spar.
Restorers masted the museum ship using traditional methods.
The damaged yacht had to be re-masted after the accident.
Workers masted the signal structure before installing the antenna.
Common mistakes The rare verb is often replaced by the noun, or used for sails when the object should be the vessel or structure.
Incorrect Correct The yard mast the schooner last week.
The yard masted the schooner last week.
They masted the new sail before launch.
They masted the new boat before launch.
The boat was mast with pine.
The boat was masted with pine.
We need to mast the rigging before the pole is raised.
We need to mast the vessel before the rigging is fitted.
Similar words rig fit
equip
furnish
outfit
step
install
Usage Read mast from context: ships and signals point to a tall support, woods and wildlife point to tree fruit, and naval discipline points to captain's mast .
Common mistakes The mast are tall uses the wrong agreement, and mast is often stretched to any pole or any animal food when flagpole , tower , or feed is clearer.
Etymology The pole sense comes from Old English maest , from a Germanic word for a pole. The forest-food sense is a separate Old English maest , linked to food and fattening animals.
FAQ What is a mast on a ship?
It is a tall pole or spar that supports sails, rigging, and related gear.
Can mast mean a radio or phone tower?
Yes. A radio, television, or phone mast is a tall support for signal equipment.
What does mast mean in ecology?
It means the nuts, seeds, berries, or other tree fruit that feed animals, especially when they fall to the forest floor.
It is a naval disciplinary proceeding handled by a commanding officer.
Yes, rarely. To mast a vessel means to fit or furnish it with a mast.
Where does mast come from?
The pole sense and the forest-food sense both go back to Old English, but they come from different Germanic roots.
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