Definitions
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective literally Having
living quarters in theforecastle - adjective Describing
seamen rather thanofficers
Etymologies
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Examples
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reesetee commented on the word before the mast
Literally, the area of a ship before the foremast (the fo'c'sle). It was most often used to describe men whose living quarters were located here (officers were housed behind, or abaft, the mast; enlisted men were housed in front of, or before, the mast). The midships area where officers berthed is more stable and closer to the center of gravity--therefore more comfortable and less subject to the up and down movement from the ship's pitching. It eventually came to describe seamen vs. officers: to describe someone as "sailing before the mast" is to say that they do not hold a high position.
December 3, 2007