What does masted mean?
Masted is a chiefly nautical adjective meaning that a vessel has one or more masts, the upright poles from which sails and rigging are supported. It is especially common in names and descriptions of sailing vessels, such as “a two-masted schooner” or “a three-masted ship.” The adjective can also appear in more technical constructions, including “the vessel was masted with a single central spar,” where it describes how a ship has been equipped. Its use extends figuratively in older literary contexts, where “full-masted” can suggest a person standing or moving with a proud, erect bearing. The word is relatively uncommon in everyday speech but remains standard in maritime vocabulary and descriptions of traditional sailing rigs. It should not be confused with mast, which names an individual spar rather than describing a vessel as a whole.
adjectiveHaving one or more masts, especially a vessel equipped with masts for carrying sails.
- Having a mast or masts; equipped with masts for supporting sails.
"The three-masted schooner sailed into the harbour before the storm."
"The two-masted fishing boat returned shortly before dawn."
"The vessel was masted with a tall central spar and two smaller booms."
A vessel may be named for its rig: a three-masted ship has three masts, each serving a different role.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does masted come from?
Masted was formed in English by adding the adjectival or participial suffix -ed to mast. Mast derives from Old English mæst, the upright support on which a sail was raised, and ultimately from Proto-Germanic *mastaz; related forms include Dutch mast and German Mast. Over time, masted came to describe vessels according to their number and arrangement of masts, while compounds such as topmast and masthead developed from the same nautical root.
How masted is actually used
Chiefly nautical and technical. It is often hyphenated when used attributively before a vessel, as in “three-masted schooner,” but may appear unhyphenated in predicative or postpositive constructions.
Easily confused with masted
A mast is the upright pole or spar that supports a vessel's sails, whereas masted describes a vessel as having one or more such poles.