Dismasted

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The situation in which a ship has had its mast removed or destroyed, affecting its ability to sail effectively
2. The condition encountered when a vessel experiences the loss of its vertical support element, impeding navigation
3. Describes a ship that has lost its mast, impairing its capability to sail properly

Etymology: The past participle of "dismast," built from the prefix "dis-" (here meaning "deprived of" or "reversed") and "mast," the upright spar that carries a ship's sails. The formation is a plain English one: a ship could be dismasted by storm or battle, and the verb simply turns that loss into an action. Because the pattern is transparent, the word needs little more explanation than its parts. The prefix "dis-" is the same element found in "disarm" and "dishonour," and it reverses or removes whatever follows. So to dismast a vessel is to strip it of its masts, and "dismasted" describes the resulting state. Sailors used the term in this sense for centuries, and it remains the standard nautical word for a ship whose rigging has been torn away at sea.

Synonyms: dismasted