jurymast means A temporary mast constructed when a vessel has been dismasted, usually in heavy weather. It carries an Arena rating of 1434, earned across 33 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, jurymast ranks #526 of 17,142 for Most Ingenious Words, #1,412 of 17,127 for Most Vivid Words, #1,716 of 17,149 for Most Exacting Words, #3,782 of 17,140 for Most Whimsical Words.
Why “jurymast” is a great word
JURYMAST — [Noun] A temporary mast erected on a sailing vessel to replace one lost or damaged, especially in heavy weather. From the noun 'jury' (of uncertain origin, but in nautical use meaning makeshift or temporary, first attested in the early 17th century) + 'mast'. Unlike 'mainmast' (which denotes the principal, permanent spine of the vessel) or 'jury-rig' (which broadly describes any improvised repair), the jurymast is a specific and desperate act of replacement. It is a splintered spar lashed with cable in a roaring gale, a crude sail hoisted to catch a desperate wind, the humble silhouette of function raised against a broken skyline—a testament not to design, but to the raw will to continue when the proper order has been swept away.
Etymology
From jury + mast. From the early 17th century.
noun
- A temporary mast constructed when a vessel has been dismasted, usually in heavy weather.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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