The Collaborative International Dictionary
Mast \Mast\, n. [AS. m[ae]st, masc.; akin to D., G., Dan., & Sw. mast, Icel. mastr, and perh. to L. malus.]
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(Naut.) A pole, or long, strong, round piece of timber, or spar, set upright in a boat or vessel, to sustain the sails, yards, rigging, etc. A mast may also consist of several pieces of timber united by iron bands, or of a hollow pillar of iron or steel.
The tallest pine Hewn on Norwegian hills, to be the mast Of some great ammiral.
--Milton.Note: The most common general names of masts are foremast, mainmast, and mizzenmast, each of which may be made of separate spars.
(Mach.) The vertical post of a derrick or crane.
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(A["e]ronautics) A spar or strut to which tie wires or guys are attached for stiffening purposes.
Afore the mast, Before the mast. See under Afore, and Before.
Mast coat. See under Coat.
Mast hoop, one of a number of hoops attached to the fore edge of a boom sail, which slip on the mast as the sail is raised or lowered; also, one of the iron hoops used in making a made mast. See Made.
Before \Be*fore"\, prep. [OE. beforen, biforen, before, AS. beforan; pref. be- + foran, fore, before. See Be-, and Fore.]
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In front of; preceding in space; ahead of; as, to stand before the fire; before the house.
His angel, who shall go Before them in a cloud and pillar of fire.
--Milton. -
Preceding in time; earlier than; previously to; anterior to the time when; -- sometimes with the additional idea of purpose; in order that.
Before Abraham was, I am.
--John viii. 58.Before this treatise can become of use, two points are necessary.
--Swift.Note: Formerly before, in this sense, was followed by that. ``Before that Philip called thee . . . I saw thee.''
--John i. 48. -
An advance of; farther onward, in place or time.
The golden age . . . is before us.
--Carlyle. -
Prior or preceding in dignity, order, rank, right, or worth; rather than.
He that cometh after me is preferred before me.
--John i. 1 -
The eldest son is before the younger in succession.
--Johnson.5. In presence or sight of; face to face with; facing.
Abraham bowed down himself before the people.
--Gen. xxiii. 12.Wherewith shall I come before the Lord?
--Micah vi. -
6. Under the cognizance or jurisdiction of.
If a suit be begun before an archdeacon.
--Ayliffe. -
Open for; free of access to; in the power of.
The world was all before them where to choose.
--Milton.Before the mast (Naut.), as a common sailor, -- because the sailors live in the forecastle, forward of the foremast.
Before the wind (Naut.), in the direction of the wind and by its impulse; having the wind aft.
Wiktionary
a. 1 (context literally English) Having living quarters in the forecastle 2 Describing seamen rather than officers
Usage examples of "before the mast".
Even a sailor before the mast could look forward with pleasure to his visit to India, with all its possibilities.
He might perhaps ship before the mast, and with his clumsiness and abstraction he would be the victim of the cat, of the boatswain's rattan.
Even in his present state he loved his ship and he was heartily glad to be alive and aboard her again, but he could not cope with the quarterdeck's awed congratulations nor with the open amazement of all hands before the mast.
He had been by his side on the poop but a minute before the mast fell, and had no doubt that he had been carried overboard by its wreck.
After the Event, she'd made sure that everyone's career path started before the mast.
I was at first questioned by the gentlemen of Liverpool, and afterwards one of the merchant's ladies, who had heard something of my adventures, and found out that I was a young and personable man, with better manners than are usually to be found before the mast, invited me one evening to a tea-party, that I might amuse her friends with my adventures.
But where I really learnt to sew was in Resolution, when Captain Douglas turned me before the mast, as I believe I told you.
Many a good man has started his career as a rating or has been turned before the mast when he was a midshipman and has ended by hoisting his flag.
Roughly, the share for each man before the mast is one hundred and ten pounds for this day's work.
I say nothing about my report to the Admiralty, but I do promise you this: unless I find you have taken great notice of my words by the time we have dealt with Moahu, by God you shall sow what you have reaped, and I shall supersede you by two of the master-mariners from before the mast.
Stepping to the platform before the mast, he entered the tent and untied one of the four shroud-wrapped bundles.
In each, a ton and a half of dead weight squatted, carefully stowed before the mast: the onagers of Erkenbert, all the forges of York Minster had been able to turn out in the weeks Ivar had given them.