A mast is a tall, upright pole on a ship that supports the sails and rigging. On land, it can also mean a tall pole used to hold flags, antennas, or lights.
From Old English 'mæst', related to similar Germanic words, all meaning 'ship’s pole'. Its basic form and purpose have changed little over centuries of sailing.
The mast is like a ship’s skeleton tower, turning wind into motion through the sails it holds. Even in the age of radio and cell phones, we still call tall support poles 'masts', keeping the old sailing image alive.
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