hammer
- 01 A2 Elementary
n.a tool with a heavy metal head and a handle, used for hitting nails or breaking things.
n.a hand tool consisting of a weighted head fixed to a handle, used for delivering impact to nails, metal, or other materials.
Simple“He used a hammer to drive the nail into the wooden fence.”
In context“The carpenter selected a heavy framing hammer to secure the joists, ensuring each strike was precise and forceful.”
Synonymsmalletgavel - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the small part inside a piano that hits the strings to make sound.
n.a felt-covered wooden component in a piano mechanism that strikes the strings when a key is pressed.
Simple“If the piano hammers are worn out, the music will sound dull.”
In context“The technician spent hours voicing the hammers to ensure a consistent tonal quality across the entire keyboard.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
n.the part of a gun that moves to fire the bullet.
n.the part of a firearm mechanism that strikes the firing pin or percussion cap to ignite the propellant.
Simple“He pulled back the hammer of the pistol and prepared to shoot.”
In context“The safety catch prevents the hammer from striking the pin even if the weapon is accidentally dropped.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
n.a tiny bone in your middle ear that helps you hear.
n.the malleus; the outermost of the three small bones in the mammalian middle ear.
Simple“The hammer, anvil, and stirrup are the three smallest bones in the human body.”
In context“Sound waves cause the eardrum to vibrate, which in turn moves the hammer to transmit audio signals to the inner ear.”
Synonymsmalleus - 05 B1 Intermediate
v.to hit something many times with a tool or your fist.
v.to strike repeatedly with a heavy object or forceful blows.
Simple“The rain started to hammer against the metal roof of the cabin.”
In context“The boxer continued to hammer his opponent with short, powerful hooks until the referee intervened.”
- 06 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to say or do something many times to make sure people understand it.
v.to emphasize a point or idea through persistent repetition.
Simple“The teacher had to hammer the message home that the exam was tomorrow.”
In context“During the debate, the candidate continued to hammer the theme of economic reform, hoping to sway undecided voters.”
- 07 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to win a game or fight by a very large score.
v.to defeat an opponent resoundingly or decisively in a competition.
Simple“Our team got hammered six-zero in the final match.”
In context“The local press predicted a close game, but the defending champions proceeded to hammer the visitors in a one-sided display of skill.”
- 08 C1 Advanced
v.to put a lot of pressure on a computer system or service by using it too much.
v.to subject a system, server, or resource to an intense or overwhelming workload.
Simple“Thousands of people tried to buy tickets at once, which hammered the website.”
In context“The sudden spike in traffic hammered the database servers, causing significant latency for users across the platform.”
Shortened West Ham + -er, with a pun on hammer.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.