26984 words

hammer

17 definitions • 16 examples
1
a tool consisting of a piece of metal with a flat end that is fixed onto the end of a long, thin, usually wooden handle, used for hitting things
2
a heavy metal ball attached to a chain that is thrown as part of a sports event
3
the event or sport in which a hammer is thrown as far as possible:

Examples:

She qualified for the women's hammer final.
4
the part of a gun that hits another part when you pull the trigger to send out the bullet
5
one of the parts of a piano that hits the strings to make a sound
6
one of three very small bones that carry sound from the eardrum to the inner ear
7
to hit something with a hammer:

Examples:

hammer something into something Can you hold this nail in position while I hammer it into the door?
I could hear you hammering upstairs.
hammer something out My car's got a dent, and I was hoping they'd be able to hammer it out (= remove it by hammering).
8
to hit or kick something with a lot of force:

Examples:

hammer on/at I was woken up suddenly by the sound of someone hammering on/at the front door.
hammer something into something He hammered the ball into the net, giving France a 3–2 win over Italy.
9
to defeat someone completely in a game or a fight:

Examples:

We were hammered in both games.
10
to criticize someone or something strongly:

Examples:

Her latest film has been hammered by the critics.
11
a tool with a heavy metal top attached to a straight handle, used for hitting an object such as a nail into a substance that holds it firmly in place
12
to hit something repeatedly with, or as if with, a hammer:

Examples:

[ T ] I hammered the nail into the wall.
13
To hammer is also to repeat again and again esp. to persuade other people about something:

Examples:

[ I always + adv/prep ] Martin Luther King, Jr., hammered at the theme that the civil rights movement must avoid violence.
[ I always + adv/prep ] His attorneys hammered away at the idea that the police department was incompetent.
14
to reduce the value or amount of something:

Examples:

Concern over the economic crisis continues to hammer the country's stock market and currency, with both falling by 6%.
be/get hammered (by sth) Public transport users will be hammered by a 15 percent reduction in service set to go into effect June 17.
15
to sell a large number of shares in the belief that prices are higher than they should be
16
to make certain that something is understood by expressing it clearly and forcefully:

Examples:

The severity of the slump in the housing market has been hammered home by figures released recently by the banks.
hammer home a message/point It is hoped that the latest advertising campaign will hammer home the message about the dangers of alcohol.
17
to be sold at an auction to the person who offers the most money:

Examples:

Auctioneers estimate the collection could fetch up to £50,000 when it goes under the hammer next month.

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