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hammer and sickle

American  

noun

  1. the emblem of the Soviet Union, adopted in 1923 and consisting of an insignia of a hammer with its handle across the blade of a sickle and a star above.

  2. any emblem similar to this, as the flag of Communist parties in some countries.


hammer and sickle British  

noun

  1. the emblem on the flag of the former Soviet Union, representing the industrial workers and the peasants respectively

  2. a symbolic representation of the former Soviet Union or of Communism in general

"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

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.

On opening day, Sept. 11, 1990, crowds of Muscovites gathered outside Pizza Hut waving tiny white flags—souvenirs decorated with the chain’s red roof logo, the Stars and Stripes, and the hammer and sickle.

From Slate • Nov. 13, 2025

In 1991, when Lockshin was 10, the hammer and sickle flag came down and the old Russian tricolor went up.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2024

Two large fields on the island sport a star from the Chinese flag and a hammer and sickle representing the ruling Communist Party.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 16, 2023

A bright red star with gold-colored hammer and sickle adorns the pyramid’s peak.

From New York Times • Apr. 28, 2023

On the stage, in front of a velvet curtain, were two flags: the Stars and Stripes and the unmistakable and portentous crimson Soviet banner with its hammer and sickle.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

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