A smaller mast fixed on the top of a lower mast; spec. the second section of a mast above the deck, which was formerly the uppermost mast, but is now surmounted by the topgallant mast.
1485. Naval Acc. Hen. VII. (1896), 48. Toppe mastes … j, Toppe shrowdes … vj. Ibid. (1497) [see TOPGALLANT A. 1].
1556. W. Towrson, in Hakluyt, Voy. (1599), II. II. 43. Perceiuing the Admirall to be farre a sterne of his company, because his maine top-mast was spent.
1610. Shaks., Temp., I. i. 37. Downe with the top-Mast: yare, lower, lower, bring her to Try with Maine-course.
a. 1625. Nomenclator Navalis (Harl. MS. 2301), s.v., The Top-mastes are ouer halfe soe long as the Mastes vnto which theie belong.
1764. Veitch, in Phil. Trans., LIV. 287. In great ships the masts are composed of three parts,… the lowermost part is called by its proper name, the middlemost part is called the top-mast, and the uppermost part the top-gallant-mast.
1795. Nelson, in Nicolas, Disp. (1845), II. 21. The Ça Ira lost her topmasts, which enabled the Agamemnon and Inconstant to close in with her.
1873. C. Robinson, N. S. Wales, 98. Every ship in port, from whatever clime, is decorated with flags of all colours, from stem to stern, from top-mast to hull.
b. attrib., as topmast-block, -head, etc.
1672. Lond. Gaz., No. 690/1. Who carried the Union Flags on their Topmast-head, and each a White Flag in their Poupe.
1709. Dampier, Voy., III. II. 37. This Island … may be seen from a Ship’s Topmast-head about ten Leagues.
1840. R. H. Dana, Bef. Mast, xi. The topmast-studding-sail boom … broke off at the boom-iron.
1897. Daily News, 7 June, 2/3. Through the thinner veil overhead … the gilded topmast-blocks could be seen gleaming in sunshine.
