hammock
1 Americannoun
noun
noun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of hammock
First recorded in 1545–55; from Spanish hamaca, from Taíno (Hispaniola)
Explanation
A hammock is a rope or canvas bed that hangs from a stand, two trees, or another support. You might enjoy reading a book while lying in a hammock under a shady tree. Most people use hammocks to nap or relax, rather than sleeping in them all night, and many kids enjoy swinging back and forth in a hammock. In some cultures and special situations, hammocks have been used for regular sleeping — for example, hammocks were once commonly found on ships, providing sailors with easily portable beds. Hammock comes from the Spanish hamaca, a variation on the Taino hamaka, "fish nets."
Vocabulary lists containing hammock
The Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer
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Vocabulary from Academy Award Nominees and Winners
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The Lions of Little Rock
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
All that self-work has paid off, Hammock says.
From Slate • Jul. 23, 2025
“We are very pleased that an arrest was made,” Heather Hammock, Mooney’s aunt, told TV station ABC7 outside the courthouse Thursday.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2024
This is the first time that the seized weaponry has been handed over to Ukraine, Central Command spokeswoman Capt. Abigail Hammock said.
From Washington Times • Oct. 4, 2023
Hogg Hummock, also known as Hog Hammock, sits on less than a square mile of modest homes amid dirt roads.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 7, 2023
Cottrell left his native Virginia in 1854, and commenced the cultivation of the virgin soil of Old Town Hammock.
From Voyage of the Paper Canoe A Geographical Journey of 2500 miles, from Quebec to the Gulf of Mexico, during the years 1874-5. by Bishop, Nathaniel H. (Nathaniel Holmes)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
