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
: 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
Quanta Magazine, 18 June 2024
These are the foods that carry deer through winter, not ag fields and mast crops.
—Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 12 Sep. 2024
Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
But in the Odyssey, Homer’s epic Greek poem about Odysseus’ sea journey home from Troy, the hero saved his crew lured by the sirens by lashing himself to the mast as the ship made its way through a narrow area surrounded by cliffs and other danger.
—Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 19 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mast 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
Yet European beeches reliably mast together despite huge differences in regional weather.
—Quanta Magazine, 18 June 2024
These are the foods that carry deer through winter, not ag fields and mast crops.
—Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 12 Sep. 2024
Noun
The rings would have strengthened the masts of a large oceangoing sailing ship.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
But in the Odyssey, Homer’s epic Greek poem about Odysseus’ sea journey home from Troy, the hero saved his crew lured by the sirens by lashing himself to the mast as the ship made its way through a narrow area surrounded by cliffs and other danger.
—Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 19 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mast
Articles Related to mast
Dictionary Entries Near mast
Cite this Entry
“Mast.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mast. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share