What does mainmast mean?
A mainmast is the principal mast of a sailing ship or other vessel. It is generally the tallest mast, and the main sails and much of the vessel's important rigging are associated with it. The word is especially common in nautical writing, maritime history, and descriptions of traditional sailing vessels. When describing the arrangement of a ship's masts, it is distinct from the foremast, the forward mast, and the mizzenmast, the mast behind the mainmast. Although today it is largely a technical term, the mainmast has long been an important visual feature of sailing ships, rising above the deck and serving as a central support for the vessel's sails and rigging.
nounThe principal or tallest mast of a sailing ship or other vessel, from which the main course and often other sails are set.
- The mainmast of a ship or sailing vessel is its principal, usually tallest, mast.
"The crew repaired the rigging attached to the mainmast before the ship sailed."
"The flag streamed from the mainmast as the vessel entered the harbor."
"A sailor climbed the mainmast to inspect the damaged rigging."
The plural is formed by adding -s to the headword.
"The harbor was filled with the silhouettes of ships and their tall mainmasts."
On a traditional sailing ship, the mainmast is the towering centerpiece from which the largest sails are flown.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does mainmast come from?
The word is a compound of main, meaning principal or chief, and mast, the vertical spar supporting a vessel's sails. The mainmast designation distinguishes the vessel's chief mast from the foremast and mizzenmast. Related nautical terms such as mainsail and masthead reflect the same long-established vocabulary of ship construction and rigging.
How mainmast is actually used
The term is chiefly nautical and is less common in general usage than the related words foremast and mizzenmast.