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   Ham·mer

   /ˈhamər/

   

   noun

   • 1. a tool with a heavy metal head mounted at right angles at the end of a handle, used for jobs such as breaking things and driving in nails.
   • ▪ a machine with a metal block for giving a heavy blow to something.
   • ▪ an auctioneer's mallet for indicating by a sharp tap that an article is sold.
   • ▪ a part of a mechanism that hits another part to make it work, such as one exploding the charge in a gun or one striking the strings of a piano.
   • 2. a metal ball, typically weighing 16 pounds (7.3 kg), attached to a wire for throwing in an athletic contest.
   • ▪ the sport of throwing a metal ball attached to a wire.
   • 3. another term for malleus

   verb

   • 1. hit or beat (something) with a hammer or similar object: "they are made by heating and hammering pieces of iron" Similar beatforgeshapeformmoldfashionmake
   • ▪ strike or knock at or on something violently with one's hand or with a hammer or other object: "she hammered on his door" Similar batterpummelbeatbangpoundstrikehitknock onthump oncudgelbludgeonclubpeltassailthwackinformal:bashwallopclobberwhack
   • ▪ strike (a ball, puck, etc.) very hard: "she hammered the ball into the top corner" Similar batterpummelbeatbangpoundstrikehitknock onthump oncudgelbludgeonclubpeltassailthwackinformal:bashwallopclobberwhack
   • 2. attack or criticize forcefully and relentlessly: informal "he got hammered for an honest mistake" Similar criticizecensureattackcondemncastigatechastiselambastepilloryreprimandrebukeadmonishremonstrate withtake to taskhaul over the coalsberatereproachreproveinformal:knockslamlay intoroastcaneblastbawl outdress downcarpetslateslag offmonsterrollickchew outream outpummelcut upbagrare:excoriateobjurgatereprehendOpposite praise
   • ▪ utterly defeat in a game or contest: "they hammered St. Louis 6–0" Similar trouncedefeatbeatbeat hollowworstbestoverwhelmroutannihilatebring someone to their kneesinformal:thrashclobberlickdemolishslaughtermurderpastepounddrubgive someone a drubbingwipe the floor withtake to the cleanersrun rings aroundwalk all overmake mincemeat ofturn something inside outstuffmarmalizeshellaccreamskunkblow outownOpposite lose to

   Word Origin Old Englishhamor, hamer, of Germanic origin: related to Dutch hamer, German Hammer, and Old Norse hamarr ‘rock’. The original sense was probably ‘stone tool’.

   Derivatives

   • 1. hammerless adjective
   • 2. hammerer noun

   Scrabble Points: 13

   • H

     4

   • A

     1

   • M

     3

   • M

     3

   • E

     1

   • R

     1

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