foremast

[ fawr-mast, -mahst, fohr-; Nautical fawr-muhst, fohr- ]

nounNautical.

the mast nearest the bow in all vessels having two or more masts.

Origin of foremast

First recorded in 1575–85; fore- + mast¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use foremast in a sentence

The battle continued under some difficulties, and the vessels were grappled only by their foremasts.
The Makers of Canada: Champlain | N. E. Dionne
He advanced slowly along the vessel's waist-deck to the mainmast—for she was rigged with main and foremasts.
The Sea-Hawk | Raphael Sabatini
I see the yellow flag flying from at least a dozen foremasts.
A Desperate Voyage | Edward Frederick Knight
The mainmast fell over the side about twenty minutes after the vessel struck, and the mizen and foremasts followed.
Narratives of Shipwrecks of the Royal Navy; between 1793 and 1849 | William O. S. Gilly

British Dictionary definitions for foremast

foremast

/ (ˈfɔːˌmɑːst, nautical ˈfɔːməst) /

noun

the mast nearest the bow on vessels with two or more masts

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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