noun
mast
Nuts of forest trees that provide food for wildlife.
Deer and squirrels feed on mast beneath the oak trees.
Etymology
Old English mæst named nuts used as food for animals. The modern woodland sense preserves that collective name for tree fruits such as acorns and beechnuts.
More examples
- A poor mast crop leaves less food for wildlife.
- Acorns and beechnuts make up much of the mast in these woods.
- Bears search the forest floor for mast each fall.
Forms
mast