hammerhead

[ ham-er-hed ]

noun
  1. the part of a hammer designed for striking.

  2. a shark of the genus Sphyrna, especially S. zygaena, having the head expanded laterally so as to resemble a double-headed hammer, sometimes dangerous to swimmers.

  1. Also called ham·mer·kop [ham-er-kop]. /ˈhæm ərˌkɒp/. a brown heronlike African bird, Scopus umbretta, having the head so crested as to resemble a claw hammer.

  2. Slang. blockhead; dunce; lout.

Origin of hammerhead

1
First recorded in 1525–35; hammer + head

Other words from hammerhead

  • ham·mer·head·ed, adjective

Words Nearby hammerhead

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use hammerhead in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hammerhead

hammerhead

/ (ˈhæməˌhɛd) /


noun
  1. any shark of the genus Sphyrna and family Sphyrnidae, having a flattened hammer-shaped head

  2. a heavily built tropical African wading bird, Scopus umbretta, related to the herons, having a dark plumage and a long backward-pointing crest: family Scopidae, order Ciconiiformes

  1. a large African fruit bat, Hypsignathus monstrosus, with a large square head and hammer-shaped muzzle

Derived forms of hammerhead

  • hammerheaded, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012