jury mast
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A temporary mast, a spar used for the nonce when the mast has been carried away. The origin of the term is unknown; it has been in use for certainly over three hundred years.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “jury mast” mean?
A temporary mast, a spar used for the nonce when the mast has been carried away. The origin of the term is unknown; it has been in use for certainly over three hundred years.
Is “jury mast” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.