Home › Glossary › Letter M

mainmast

Nautical
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

The tallest and most important mast on a ship, typically located near the center.

Detailed Definition
The mainmast is the backbone of the sail-plan, carrying the largest sails and bearing the ship's primary visual weight. In poetry, it stands as a symbol of central authority, strength, and the principal support of any enterprise. Its towering height makes it a natural point for flag-flying and lookouts, connecting the ship to the sky and distant horizons. Poets use the mainmast to discuss leadership, the pillar of family or state, and the indomitable spirit that holds a community together. Its breaking in a storm is an image of ultimate catastrophe, the collapse of the central order around which all else revolves.
Example
Example in poetry:
The mainmast in poetry stands as a symbol of central authority, strength, and the principal support of any enterprise.; Its towering height makes it a natural point for flag-flying and lookouts, connecting the ship to the sky.; Poets use the mainmast to discuss leadership, the pillar of family or state, and the indomitable spirit.; The mainmast’s breaking in a storm is an image of ultimate catastrophe.; It is the tallest and most important mast, carrying the largest sails.; The mainmast bears the ship’s primary visual weight and symbolic burden.
Additional Notes
The mainmast is the tallest and most important mast on a ship, bearing the largest sails and the ship's primary visual weight. In poetry, it stands as a symbol of central authority, strength, and the principal support of any enterprise. Its towering height makes it a natural point for flag-flying and lookouts, connecting the ship to the sky and to distant horizons. Poets use the mainmast to discuss leadership, the pillar of family or state, and the indomitable spirit that holds a community together. Its breaking in a storm is an image of ultimate catastrophe, the collapse of the central order around which all else revolves.
Also Known As
Main mast center mast principal mast
Skip to main content