mast: nuts, seeds, or other fruits of some woody plants, including trees, shrubs, and vines, that serve as food for wildlife, especially when accumulated on the forest floor
The word mast comes from the Old English maest, meaning “fodder,” and is believed to be derived from a prehistoric German word meaning meat. The word was originally applied in agriculture to food provided by nature for domestic animals (particularly hogs but also cattle, sheep, goats, and even chickens) that foraged in the woods near homes and farms...In horticulture today, mast is divided into “hard mast” and “soft mast.”