hoist

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. v. To raise or haul up with or as if with the help of a mechanical apparatus. See Synonyms at lift.
2. v. To raise to one's mouth in order to drink: hoist a few beers.
3. v. To become raised or lifted.
4. n. An apparatus for lifting heavy or cumbersome objects.
5. n. The act of hoisting; a lift.
6. n. Nautical The height or vertical dimension of a flag or of any square sail other than a course.
7. n. Nautical A group of flags raised together as a signal.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. To raise; lift; elevate; especially, to raise by means of block and tackle or other machinery.
2. n. The act of hoisting; a lift.
3. n. That by which something is hoisted; a machine for raising ore, merchandise, passengers, etc., in a mine, warehouse, hotel, etc.; an elevator.
4. n. The perpendicular height of a flag or ensign, as opposed to the fly, or breadth from the staff to the outer edge; also, the extent to which a sail or yard may be hoisted: as, give the sail more hoist.
5. n. Nautical, a number of flags fastened together for hoisting as a signal.
6. n. Past participle of hoise, regularly hoised.

Wiktionary

1. v. transitive To raise; to lift; to elevate; especially, to raise or lift to a desired elevation, by means of tackle or pulley, as a sail, a flag, a heavy package or weight.
2. v. transitive, historical To lift someone up to be flogged.
3. v. intransitive To be lifted up.
4. n. A hoisting device, such as pulley or crane.
5. n. The perpendicular height of a flag, as opposed to the fly, or horizontal length, when flying from a staff.
6. n. The vertical edge of a flag which is next to the staff.
7. n. The height of a fore-and-aft sail, next the mast or stay.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. v. To raise; to lift; to elevate; esp., to raise or lift to a desired elevation, by means of tackle, as a sail, a flag, a heavy package or weight.
2. n. That by which anything is hoisted; the apparatus for lifting goods.
3. n. colloq. The act of hoisting; a lift.
4. n. The perpendicular height of a flag, as opposed to the fly, or horizontal length when flying from a staff.
5. n. The height of a fore-and-aft sail next the mast or stay.
6. obsolete Hoisted.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. lifting device for raising heavy or cumbersome objects
2. v. raise or haul up with or as if with mechanical help
3. v. raise.
4. v. move from one place to another by lifting