hammer

ham|mer¹ [ˈhæmə US -ər] n

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1¦(tool)¦

2 come/go under the hammer

3 hammer blow

4 hammer and tongs

5¦(gun)¦

6¦(sport)¦

7¦(piano)¦

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[: Old English; Origin: hamor]

1.) ¦(TOOL)¦

a) a tool with a heavy metal part on a long handle, used for hitting nails into wood

b) a tool like this with a wooden head used to make something flat, make a noise etc

▪ an auctioneer's hammer

2.) come/go under the hammer

to be offered for sale at an ↑auction

3.) hammer blow

BrE an event that damages something very seriously

hammer blow for

▪ The decision is a hammer blow for the coal industry.

4.) hammer and tongs informal

a) if people go at each other hammer and tongs, they fight or argue very loudly

b) if someone does something hammer and tongs, they do it with all their energy

5.) ¦(GUN)¦

the part of a gun that hits the explosive ↑charge that fires a bullet

6.) ¦(SPORT)¦

a heavy metal ball on a wire with a handle at the end, which you throw as far as possible as a sport

7.) ¦(PIANO)¦

a wooden part of a ↑piano that hits the strings inside to make a musical sound

hammer ²

hammer² v

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1¦(hit with a hammer)¦

2¦(hit repeatedly)¦

3¦(hurt with problems)¦

4¦(hit hard)¦

5¦(criticize)¦

6 hammer something home

7¦(heart)¦

8¦(defeat)¦

Phrasal verbs

　hammer away

　hammer something<=>in

　hammer something<=>out

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1.) ¦(HIT WITH A HAMMER)¦ [I and T]

to hit something with a hammer in order to force it into a particular position or shape

hammer sth in/into sth

▪ Hammer the nails into the back of the frame.

hammer away (at sth)

▪ All afternoon, Martin had been hammering away in the conservatory.

▪ the sound of hammering and sawing

2.) ¦(HIT REPEATEDLY)¦

to hit something many times, especially making a loud noise

= ↑pound, bang ↑bang hammer at

▪ Daniella hammered at the door.

▪ The rain was hammering against the window.

3.) ¦(HURT WITH PROBLEMS)¦ [T]

to hurt someone or something by causing them a lot of problems

▪ British industry was being hammered by the recession.

4.) ¦(HIT HARD)¦ [T] [i]informal

to hit or kick something very hard

▪ Robinson hammered the ball into the goal.

5.) ¦(CRITICIZE)¦ [T]

to strongly criticize or attack someone for something they have said or done

▪ The president has been hammered for his lack of leadership.

6.) hammer sth home

to make sure that people understand something by repeating it many times

▪ The message must be hammered home that crime doesn't pay.

7.) ¦(HEART)¦

if your heart hammers, you feel it beating strongly and quickly

= ↑pound

▪ She stood outside the door, her heart hammering.

8.) ¦(DEFEAT)¦ [T] [i]informal

to defeat someone completely at a sport

▪ Arsenal hammered Manchester United 5-0.

hammer away phr v

1.) to keep saying something because you want people to understand or accept it

hammer away at

▪ I keep hammering away at this point because it's important.

2.) to work hard and continuously at something

hammer away at

▪ You need to keep on hammering away at achieving your goals.

hammer in [hammer sth<=>in] phr v

to keep saying something until people completely understand it

▪ The coach hammered his message into the team.

hammer out [hammer sth<=>out] phr v

to decide on an agreement, contract etc after a lot of discussion and disagreement

▪ Leading oil producers tried to hammer out a deal.