hammer

1 noun (C)

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 1

3 be/go at it hammer and tongs informal to fight or argue very loudly

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

5 GUN the part of a gun that hits the explosive charge 1 (8) that fires a bullet

6 SPORT a heavy metal ball on a wire with a handle that is thrown as far as possible, as a sport

2 verb

1 HIT STH WITH A HAMMER (I, T) to hit something with a hammer in order to force it into a particular position or shape: hammer sth into/onto: He hammered the door into its frame. | The blacksmith then hammers the horseshoe into its final shape.

2 HIT REPEATEDLY (I) to hit something many times, especially making a loud noise

(+ against/on): The rain was hammering against the window.

3 DEFEAT (T) informal to defeat someone completely at a sport: Arsenal hammered Manchester United in yesterday's game.

4 HIT HARD informal (T) to hit or kick something very hard: Robinson hammered the ball into the goal.

5 hammer away at

a) to work hard and continuously at something: I kept hammering away at the essay until it was done.

b) to repeat something continuously until you are sure that people understand or accept what you are saying: Petersen kept hammering away at his demand for a public inquiry.

6 hammer sth home to make sure that people understand what you want to say by speaking in a determined way: an important point that needs to be hammered home

7 HEART (I) if your heart hammers, you feel it beating strongly and quickly: She stood outside the door, her heart hammering.

hammer sth in, hammer sth into sb/sth phrasal verb (T) to repeat something continuously until people completely understand it: The coach hammered his message into the team. hammer out sth phrasal verb (T) to decide on an agreement, contract, etc after a lot of discussion and disagreement: The UN is trying to force the warring factions to get together and hammer out a solution.