*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of mast-

From Ancient Greek μάσταξ (mástax, “jaws, what chews”).

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
prefix

mastoid process.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Ancient Greek μάσταξ (mástax, “jaws, what chews”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "μάσταξ",
        "4": "",
        "5": "jaws, what chews"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek μάσταξ (mástax, “jaws, what chews”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "μάσταξ",
      "μάσταξ#Ancient_Greek"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "prefix",
      "glosses": [
        "mastoid process."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "morpheme"
      ],
      "recordId": "3cae4f19e35cd6cd6a2a913d12cb29403a0962f84dee4883c689be5d9177a82e",
      "rawRecordSha256": "f4a1c5bec8bd0973d2a2327cbb4be709d1e4af03d9690299ae273bc1ba66274b",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 2994033
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
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    "lexicalSenses": 0,
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
prefix

Relating to a breast or nipple. · Relating to homologous mammary organs, such as udders.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Ancient Greek μαστός (mastós, “breast”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "μαστός",
        "4": "",
        "5": "breast"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek μαστός (mastós, “breast”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "μαστός",
      "μαστός#Ancient_Greek"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "prefix",
      "glosses": [
        "Relating to a breast or nipple.",
        "Relating to homologous mammary organs, such as udders."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "morpheme"
      ],
      "recordId": "8845058e0605323d0751a1a92086bfc9c3b7be198122f29df3c2735a0bc2d568",
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    }
  ],
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  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for mast- →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-bWFzdC0