— hoister , n.
/hoyst/ or, sometimes, /huyst/ , v.t.
1. to raise or lift, esp. by some mechanical appliance: to hoist a flag; to hoist the mainsail.
2. to raise to one's lips and drink; drink (esp. beer or whiskey) with gusto: Let's go hoist a few beers.
3. Archaic. a pt. and pp. of hoise .
4. hoist with or by one's own petard . See petard (def. 4).
n.
5. an apparatus for hoisting, as a block and tackle, a derrick, or a crane.
6. act of hoisting; a lift: Give that sofa a hoist at your end.
7. Naut.
a. the vertical dimension amidships of any square sail that is hoisted with a yard. Cf. drop (def. 28).
b. the distance between the hoisted and the lowered position of such a yard.
c. the dimension of a fore-and-aft sail along the luff.
d. a number of flags raised together as a signal.
8. (on a flag)
a. the vertical dimension as flown from a vertical staff.
b. the edge running next to the staff. Cf. fly (def. 36b).
[ 1540-50; later var. of HOISE, with -t as in AGAINST, etc. ]
Syn. 1. elevate. See raise .
Ant. 1. lower.