# hammer

/ˈhæmɝ/ (US) · /hˈæmɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hammer
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. striking tool

noun · CEFR A2

a tool with a heavy metal head and a handle, used for hitting nails or breaking things.

For teachers: a hand tool consisting of a weighted head fixed to a handle, used for delivering impact to nails, metal, or other materials.

- He used a hammer to drive the nail into the wooden fence.
- The carpenter selected a heavy framing hammer to secure the joists, ensuring each strike was precise and forceful.

### 2. part of a piano

noun · CEFR B2

the small part inside a piano that hits the strings to make sound.

For teachers: a felt-covered wooden component in a piano mechanism that strikes the strings when a key is pressed.

- If the piano hammers are worn out, the music will sound dull.
- The technician spent hours voicing the hammers to ensure a consistent tonal quality across the entire keyboard.

### 3. part of a gun

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

the part of a gun that moves to fire the bullet.

For teachers: the part of a firearm mechanism that strikes the firing pin or percussion cap to ignite the propellant.

- He pulled back the hammer of the pistol and prepared to shoot.
- The safety catch prevents the hammer from striking the pin even if the weapon is accidentally dropped.

### 4. middle ear bone

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a tiny bone in your middle ear that helps you hear.

For teachers: the malleus; the outermost of the three small bones in the mammalian middle ear.

- The hammer, anvil, and stirrup are the three smallest bones in the human body.
- Sound waves cause the eardrum to vibrate, which in turn moves the hammer to transmit audio signals to the inner ear.

### 5. to hit hard

verb · CEFR B1

to hit something many times with a tool or your fist.

For teachers: to strike repeatedly with a heavy object or forceful blows.

- The rain started to hammer against the metal roof of the cabin.
- The boxer continued to hammer his opponent with short, powerful hooks until the referee intervened.

### 6. to repeat a point

verb · CEFR B2

to say or do something many times to make sure people understand it.

For teachers: to emphasize a point or idea through persistent repetition.

- The teacher had to hammer the message home that the exam was tomorrow.
- During the debate, the candidate continued to hammer the theme of economic reform, hoping to sway undecided voters.

### 7. to defeat easily

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to win a game or fight by a very large score.

For teachers: to defeat an opponent resoundingly or decisively in a competition.

- Our team got hammered six-zero in the final match.
- The local press predicted a close game, but the defending champions proceeded to hammer the visitors in a one-sided display of skill.

### 8. to overwork a system

verb · CEFR C1 · Informal · Technical

to put a lot of pressure on a computer system or service by using it too much.

For teachers: to subject a system, server, or resource to an intense or overwhelming workload.

- Thousands of people tried to buy tickets at once, which hammered the website.
- The sudden spike in traffic hammered the database servers, causing significant latency for users across the platform.

## Examples

- I need a hammer to fix the broken fence.
- The carpenter used a heavy hammer to drive the long nails into the oak frame of the house.
- While the pneumatic drill is more efficient for large-scale demolition, the traditional hammer remains an essential instrument for delicate adjustments and precision joinery in high-end furniture making.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.