hammock

1 of 2

noun (1)

ham·​mock ˈha-mək 

: a swinging couch or bed usually made of netting or canvas and slung by cords from supports at each end

Illustration of hammock

• ¹hammock

hammock

2 of 2

noun (2)

1

: hummock

2

: a fertile area in the southern U.S. and especially Florida that is usually higher than its surroundings and that is characterized by hardwood vegetation and deep humus-rich soil

Examples of hammock in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

East Bungalows boast elevated terraces with hammocks, as well as two twin-sized beds on rollers that can be combined to form a king. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Mar. 2026

Wilson in a hammock is a convenient surface for the play of shadows; Odom on a bed, equally criss-crossed in shadow, is a person in a dark bedroom, taking a nap. —Lori Waxman, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026

Kayaks are lined up for early paddles, while hammocks handle the lazy stretches in between. —Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 23 Feb. 2026

Wading birds stalk the shallows, woodpeckers tap through the hammocks, and osprey circle overhead along the river corridor. —Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 22 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Spanish hamaca, from Taino

Noun (2)

earlier hammok, hommoke, humock; akin to Middle Low German hummel small height, hump bump — more at hump

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1626, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1556, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for hammock

• aerodynamic
• geodynamic
• haemodynamic
• hemodynamic
• hydrodynamic
• hypothalamic
• photodynamic
• psychodynamic
• spinothalamic
• thermodynamic
• ceramic
• dynamic

Kids Definition

hammock

noun

ham·​mock

ˈham-ək

: a swinging couch or bed usually made of netting or canvas and slung by cords from supports at each end