anvil

[ an-vil ]
/ ˈæn vɪl /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR anvil ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a heavy iron block with a smooth face, frequently of steel, on which metals, usually heated until soft, are hammered into desired shapes.
anything having a similar form or use.
the fixed jaw in certain measuring instruments.
Also called anvil cloud, anvil top. Meteorology. incus(def 2).
a musical percussion instrument having steel bars that are struck with a wooden or metal beater.
Anatomy. incus(def 1).

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
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Origin of anvil

before 900; Middle English anvelt, anfelt, Old English anfilt(e), anfealt; cognate with Middle Dutch anvilte, Old High German anafalz. See on, felt2

Words nearby anvil

anuria, anurous, anus, anuszkiewicz, anvers, anvil, anxiety, anxiety disorder, anxiety hysteria, anxiety neurosis, anxiety reaction
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to anvil

plover, farrier, smithy, shoer

Example sentences from the Web for anvil

British Dictionary definitions for anvil

anvil
/ (ˈænvɪl) /

noun

a heavy iron or steel block on which metals are hammered during forging
any part having a similar shape or function, such as the lower part of a telegraph key
the fixed jaw of a measurement device against which the piece to be measured is held
anatomy the nontechnical name for incus

Word Origin for anvil

Old English anfealt; related to Old High German anafalz, Middle Dutch anvilte; see on, felt ²
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

Medical definitions for anvil

anvil
[ ăn′vĭl ]

n.

incus
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.