MIZEN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does mizen mean? 

• MIZEN (noun)
  The noun MIZEN has 2 senses:

1. third mast from the bow in a vessel having three or more masts; the after and shorter mast of a yawl, ketch, or dandy

2. fore-and-aft sail set on the mizzenmast

  Familiarity information: MIZEN used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MIZEN (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Third mast from the bow in a vessel having three or more masts; the after and shorter mast of a yawl, ketch, or dandy

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

mizen; mizenmast; mizzen; mizzenmast

Hypernyms ("mizen" is a kind of...):

mast (a vertical spar for supporting sails)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Fore-and-aft sail set on the mizzenmast

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

mizen; mizzen

Hypernyms ("mizen" is a kind of...):

fore-and-aft sail (any sail not set on a yard and whose normal position is in a fore-and-aft direction)

 Context examples 

Then we set the mizen, main-top-sail, and the fore-top-sail.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

Finding it was likely to overblow, we took in our sprit-sail, and stood by to hand the fore-sail; but making foul weather, we looked the guns were all fast, and handed the mizen.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

We got the starboard tacks aboard, we cast off our weather-braces and lifts; we set in the lee-braces, and hauled forward by the weather-bowlings, and hauled them tight, and belayed them, and hauled over the mizen tack to windward, and kept her full and by as near as she would lie.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)