- a tool consisting of a solid head, usually of metal, set crosswise on a handle, used for beating metals, driving nails, etc.
- any of various instruments or devices resembling this in form, action, or use, as a gavel, a mallet for playing the xylophone, or a lever that strikes the bell in a doorbell.
- the part of a lock that by its fall or action causes the discharge, as by exploding the percussion cap or striking the primer or firing pin; the cock.
- one of the padded levers by which the strings of a piano are struck.
- a metal ball, usually weighing 16 pounds (7.3 kilograms), attached to a steel wire at the end of which is a grip, for throwing for distance in the hammer throw.
- the malleus.
- to beat or drive (a nail, peg, etc.) with a hammer.
- to fasten by using hammer and nails; nail (often followed by down, up, etc.): We spent the day hammering up announcements on fences and trees.
- to assemble or build with a hammer and nails (often followed by together): He hammered together a small crate.
- to shape or ornament (metal or a metal object) by controlled and repeated blows of a hammer; beat out: to hammer brass; to hammer a brass bowl.
- to form, construct, or make with or as if with a hammer; build by repeated, vigorous, or strenuous effort (often followed by out or together): to hammer out an agreement; to hammer together a plot.
- to produce with or by force (often followed by out): to hammer out a tune on the piano; to hammer a home run.
- to pound or hit forcefully: to hammer someone in the jaw.
- to settle (a strong disagreement, argument, etc.); bring to an end, as by strenuous or repeated effort (usually followed by out): They hammered out their differences over a glass of beer.
- to present (points in an argument, an idea, etc.) forcefully or compellingly; state strongly, aggressively, and effectively (often followed by home).
- to impress (something) as if by hammer blows: You'll have to hammer the rules into his head.
- British.
- (in the London stock exchange) to dismiss (a person) from membership because of default.
- to depress the price of (a stock).
- to strike blows with or as if with a hammer.
- to make persistent or laborious attempts to finish or perfect something (sometimes followed by away): He hammered away at his speech for days.
- to reiterate; emphasize by repetition (often followed by away): The teacher hammered away at the multiplication tables.
- for sale at public auction: The old estate and all its furnishings went under the hammer.
- U.S. businessman and art patron.
- a hand tool consisting of a heavy usually steel head held transversely on the end of a handle, used for driving in nails, beating metal, etc
- any tool or device with a similar function, such as the moving part of a door knocker, the striking head on a bell, etc
- a power-driven striking tool, esp one used in forging. A pneumatic hammer delivers a repeated blow from a pneumatic ram, a drop hammer uses the energy of a falling weight
- a part of a gunlock that rotates about a fulcrum to strike the primer or percussion cap, either directly or via a firing pin
- athletics
- a heavy metal ball attached to a flexible wire: thrown in competitions
- the event or sport of throwing the hammer
- an auctioneer's gavel
- a device on a piano that is made to strike a string or group of strings causing them to vibrate
- anatomy the nontechnical name for malleus
- the last stone thrown in an end
- to be offered for sale by an auctioneer
- with great effort or energy
- on someone's hammer Australian and NZ slang
- persistently demanding and critical of someone
- in hot pursuit of someone
- to strike or beat (a nail, wood, etc) with or as if with a hammer
- to shape or fashion with or as if with a hammer
- to impress or force (facts, ideas, etc) into (someone) through constant repetition
- to feel or sound like hammering
- to work at constantly
- (tr) British
- to question in a relentless manner
- to criticize severely
- to inflict a defeat on
- to beat, punish, or chastise
- (tr) stock exchange
- to announce the default of (a member)
- to cause prices of (securities, the market, etc) to fall by bearish selling