hammerhead

noun

ham·​mer·​head ˈha-mər-ˌhed How to pronounce hammerhead (audio)
1
: the striking part of a hammer
2
3
: any of a family (Sphyrnidae) of active voracious medium-sized sharks that have the eyes at the ends of lateral extensions of the flattened head see shark illustration

Examples of hammerhead in a Sentence

we despair of ever getting those hammerheads to buckle their seat belts without prodding
Recent Examples on the Web Scalloped hammerhead sharks swim near the Galapagos Islands. Angela Dewan, CNN, 12 Feb. 2024 Divers in the Galápagos regularly see whale sharks, hammerhead sharks, spotted eagle rays, manta rays, sun fish, and many other marine creatures that are on divers' bucket lists. Karen Catchpole, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2024 Or check out sea life from hammerhead sharks to indigenous tropical fish in the museum’s aquarium. Kathy Buccio, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 Kane cruises into Atlantis with his team, who are piloting a submarine shaped like a hammerhead shark. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 Dec. 2023 Still, hammerheads manage to dive thousands of feet into the ocean’s cold depths in search of prey. Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 May 2023 Several species swim here, including tiger sharks, hammerheads and bull sharks. Jack Tamisiea, Scientific American, 26 July 2023 The Navy released a $1.5 million plan to remove a surveillance plane that overshot a runway at a military base in Hawaii and splashed into Kaneohe Bay, which is home to coral reefs, a breeding ground for hammerhead sharks and a University of Hawaii marine biology research institute. CBS News, 2 Dec. 2023 On Instagram, locals were posting images of hammerheads and sand tiger sharks. Emma Allen, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hammerhead.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1562, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hammerhead was in 1562

Dictionary Entries Near hammerhead

Cite this Entry

“Hammerhead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hammerhead. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hammerhead

noun
ham·​mer·​head ˈham-ər-ˌhed How to pronounce hammerhead (audio)
: any of various active sharks of medium size that have the eyes at the ends of sideward extensions of the flattened head

More from Merriam-Webster on hammerhead

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!