mast
mast Lexical Profile
mast Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A tall upright post, spar, or other structure on a ship or boat, generally used to carry a sail or sails.
"The storm snapped the main mast in half, leaving the ship adrift in the turbulent sea."
A tall vertical structure or tower used to support a television, radio, or telecommunications antenna.
"The telecommunications company erected a new radio mast on the hill to improve regional signal coverage."
The fruit of forest trees, especially beech, oak, and chestnut, used as food for wild animals and livestock.
"In autumn, the forest floor is covered with a rich layer of mast that provides essential winter calories for wild boars."
• verb
To furnish a ship or boat with a mast or masts.
"The shipbuilders took several weeks to properly mast the new galleon before its maiden voyage."
To produce a crop of nuts synchronously across a population of trees, typically in large irregular intervals.
"Oak trees mast every few years, dropping thousands of acorns simultaneously to overwhelm seed predators and ensure some saplings survive."
• Rhymes for mast
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The word has two distinct origins: as a pole, it derives from Old English 'mæst' (from Proto-Germanic *mastaz); as forest nuts, it comes from Old English 'mæst' (meaning fodder or food), related to the Germanic root for 'meat'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.