A yardarm is the outer end of a horizontal pole (called a yard) that stretches across a ship's mast to hold up a sail. Picture a sailing ship with those big square sails you see in pirate movies: the yardarms are the tips of those long poles sticking out to each side, keeping the top of the sail spread wide to catch the wind.

On old sailing ships, the yardarms served another purpose too. Sailors would climb out onto them, hanging high above the deck, to adjust the sails or untangle ropes. This was dangerous work, especially during storms, requiring balance, courage, and strong arms.

While modern ships use different technology, yardarms remain important symbols of the age of sail, when skilled sailors guided wooden ships across entire oceans using nothing but wind, ropes, and courage.