hammer

noun ham·mer \ ˈha-mər \

Definition of hammer

1 a :a hand tool consisting of a solid head set crosswise on a handle and used for pounding

b :a power tool that often substitutes a metal block or a drill for the hammerhead

2 :something that resembles a hammer in form or action: such as

a :a lever with a striking head for ringing a bell or striking a gong

b (1) :an arm that strikes the cap in a percussion lock to ignite the propelling charge

(2) :a part of the action of a modern gun that strikes the primer of the cartridge in firing or that strikes the firing pin to ignite the cartridge

c :malleus

d :gavel

e (1) :a padded mallet in a piano action for striking a string

(2) :a hand mallet for playing on various percussion instruments (such as a xylophone)

3 :a metal sphere thrown for distance in the hammer throw

4 :accelerator b

— under the hammer

:for sale at auction

See hammer defined for English-language learners

See hammer defined for kids

Recent Examples of hammer from the Web

A search of the vehicle was conducted, and police discovered a black mask, gloves, bent screwdriver and hammer.

— andy nguyen, Glendale News-Press, "Four arrested in La Crescenta on suspicion of burglary," 29 Aug. 2017
The bluntness of the comment, even by the hammer-force standards of Twitter, was striking, apart from the message itself.

— clifton leaf, Fortune, "Harvey: ‘All Impacts Are Unknown and Beyond Anything Experienced’," 27 Aug. 2017
The non-binding measure hammers Conrad for more than just the murder rate.

— phillip m. bailey, The Courier-Journal, "Metro Council has officially lost confidence in Louisville police Chief Steve Conrad," 10 Aug. 2017
An attack on a castle or fortress involved a short, but furious battle, with soldiers attacking holes in the walls with picks and hammers and rushing through as soon as the openings were large enough to squeeze through.

— william gurstelle, Popular Mechanics, "How to Storm a Castle," 10 Aug. 2017
Colleges are caught between the hammer of constitutional litigation and the anvil of unjust and unlawful directives from the Obama administration.

— david french, National Review, "The New York Times Publishes a Terrible Defense of Campus Kangaroo Courts," 4 Aug. 2017
Hard drives should be destroyed – Carrie-Ann suggests smashing them up with a hammer, which sounds enjoyable! 6.

— sophie hines, House Beautiful, "23 Things to Get Rid of Straightaway, According to Decluttering Experts," 21 July 2017
Perren pounded the shovel with a hammer to sever the frozen rope.

— craig r. mccoy / staff writer, Philly.com, "Horror on the mountain," 12 July 2017
The only sounds are the wind, distant birdsong and the thumping of hammers on the chalk that can be felt through the feet.

— emily cleaver, Smithsonian, "Against All Odds, England’s Massive Chalk Horse Has Survived 3,000 Years," 6 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hammer.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of hammer

Middle English hamer, from Old English hamor; akin to Old High German hamar hammer, and perhaps to Old Church Slavonic kamen-, kamy stone, Greek akmē point, edge — more at edge

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

hammer

verb

Definition of hammer

hammered; hammering play \ˈha-mər-iŋ, ˈham-riŋ\

intransitive verb

1 :to strike blows especially repeatedly with or as if with a hammer :pound

2 :to make repeated efforts; especially :to reiterate an opinion or attitude

the lectures all hammered away at the same points

transitive verb

1 a :to beat, drive, or shape with repeated blows of a hammer

b :to fasten or build with a hammer

2 :to strike or drive with a force suggesting a hammer blow or repeated blows

hammered the ball over the fence

tried to hammer me into submission

3 :to criticize severely

—

hammerer

play \ˈha-mər-ər\ noun

See hammer defined for English-language learners

Examples of hammer in a Sentence

He hammered the dent out of the fender.
The carpenters were hammering all afternoon.
The workers are hammering the studs to the frame.
The batter hammered the ball over the fence.
Someone tried to hammer him over the head with a club.
Many towns were hammered by the hurricane.
The typist's fingers were hammering the keys.
He was hammering at the door.
The rain hammered down on the roof.
The home team was hammered 9–0.

Recent Examples of hammer from the Web

Friday — @TheMikeDonovan Rams already tuned up for Mile High Showdown by hammering Pac-12’s Oregon State …

— ralph d. russo, The Seattle Times, "College football picks: ‘Bama-FSU can make long-term impact," 30 Aug. 2017
Dunaway spent the Tuesday morning helping to clear three neighborhoods in Baytown – which got hammered with 51.88 inches of rain.

— jen kirby, Daily Intelligencer, "‘It Took Two Boat Rides’: Texans on Surviving the Storm," 30 Aug. 2017
The start to the reunion went especially well as visiting Truman, displaying considerable overall speed, hammered Methacton, 48-0, Friday night in the season opener for both squads.

— rick o'brien, Philly.com, "Truman coach Mike LaPalombara has close bond with assistants," 26 Aug. 2017
There was no faking it last season, though, as Madrid beat Napoli, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid in the knockout stages before hammering Juventus in the final.

— jonathan wilson, SI.com, "Liverpool, Man United in Luck, Not So Much for Tottenham in Champions League Draw," 25 Aug. 2017
Writing is a lot like carpentry, hammering and sawing and sanding.

— thomas e. ricks, The Atlantic, "The Book He Wasn't Supposed to Write," 22 Aug. 2017
To some extent, Finkelstein always got too much credit for his insight that hammering opponents on their flaws was the way to victory.

— jonathan s. tobin, National Review, "Don’t Blame Arthur Finkelstein for the State of American Politics," 21 Aug. 2017
Bama and Saints fans should be grateful that a San Diegan, John Lynch, had hammered Brees to the Jack Murphy Field turf.

— tom krasovic, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Brees: L.A. move 'didn't have to happen'," 17 Aug. 2017
The great hope, of course, is that college kids will get hammered at Innisfree, and then stumble over to Ajian to sober up.

— joseph goodman, AL.com, "College kids love Ajian, a restaurant with an offensive name," 15 Aug. 2017

First Known Use of hammer

14th century

hammer Synonyms

Synonyms

beat, draw, forge, pound

Related Words

chase, planish; fashion, form, knead, model, mold, pat, work; coin, mint, stamp; abate, boast, carve, chisel, cut, grave, hew, knap, sculpt, sculpture

Near Antonyms

approve, endorse (also indorse), sanction; extol (also extoll), laud, praise

HAMMER Defined for English Language Learners

hammer

noun

Definition of hammer for English Language Learners

: a tool that has a heavy metal head attached to a handle and that is used for hitting nails or breaking things apart
: a similar tool made usually of wood and used especially for hitting a surface to make a loud noise
: the part of a gun that strikes a charge causing the gun to shoot

hammer

verb

Definition of hammer for English Language Learners

: to force (something) into a particular place or shape by hitting it with a hammer
: to attach (something) with a hammer and nails
: to hit (something or someone) in a very forceful way

HAMMER Defined for Kids

hammer

noun ham·mer \ ˈha-mər \

Definition of hammer for Students

1 :a tool consisting of a head fastened to a handle and used for pounding something (as a nail)

2 :something like a hammer in shape or action

an auctioneer's hammer

3 :a heavy metal ball with a flexible handle thrown for distance in a track-and-field contest ( hammer throw )

hammer

verb

Definition of hammer for Students

hammered; hammering

1 :to strike with a hammer

2 :to fasten or build (as by nailing) with a hammer

Hammer the lid shut.

3 :to hit something hard and repeatedly

She hammered on the door.

4 :to beat hard

His heart hammered.

— hammer out

:to produce or bring about by persistent effort

“They hammered out those rules after the failure ten years ago.”
—Lois Lowry, The Giver

Medical Dictionary

hammer

noun ham·mer \ ˈham-ər \

medical Definition of hammer

:malleus

Learn More about hammer

See words that rhyme with hammer Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hammer Spanish Central: Translation of hammer Nglish: Translation of hammer for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of hammer for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hammer

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hammer

Definition of hammer

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Origin and Etymology of hammer

hammer

Definition of hammer

hammerer

Examples of hammer in a Sentence

Recent Examples of hammer from the Web

First Known Use of hammer

hammer Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Phrases Related to HAMMER

Related Phrases

HAMMER Defined for English Language Learners

hammer

Definition of hammer for English Language Learners

hammer

Definition of hammer for English Language Learners

HAMMER Defined for Kids

hammer

Definition of hammer for Students

hammer

Definition of hammer for Students

Medical Dictionary

hammer

medical Definition of hammer

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