dudley
n. countablen. a heavy hammer used in mining or stone work. It is usually made of iron and has a long handle for breaking hard materials.
n. a heavy iron hammer or sledge used specifically in mining and quarrying contexts for breaking rock or driving wedges.
The miner used a dudley to break the large rock.
Before the introduction of pneumatic drills, the dudley was a standard tool for manual excavation in the local mines.
The archaeological survey of the abandoned quarry site uncovered several rusted iron tools, including a heavy dudley that had likely been used to split granite blocks.
From Old English, literally "wood or clearing of Dudda (a personal name of unknown meaning)".
Primarily a technical or regional term within the mining and masonry industries.