I. ˈmast noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English mæst; akin to Old High German mast mast, Latin malus
Date: before 12th century
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 (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
• mast·ed ˈmas-təd adjective
•
- before the mast
II. transitive verb
Date: circa 1513
: to furnish with a mast
III. noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English mæst; akin to Old High German mast food, mast, and probably to Old English mete food — more at meat
Date: before 12th century
: nuts (as acorns) accumulated on the forest floor and often serving as food for animals