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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 heads expanded laterally so as to resemble a double-headed hammer, sometimes dangerous to swimmers.
  3. Also called ham·mer·kop [ham, -er-kop]. a brown heronlike African bird, Scopus umbretta, having the head heads so crested as to resemble a claw hammer.
  4. Slang. blockhead; dunce; lout.


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


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Derived Forms

  • ˈhammerˌheaded, adjective
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Other Words From

  • hammer·headed adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of hammerhead1

First recorded in 1525–35; hammer + head
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Example Sentences

Discovering a potential hammerhead shark nursery was an accident.

Great hammerhead sharks breed infrequently, about once every two years.

It seems like an unlikely place for a nursery of endangered hammerhead sharks, but a recreational hot spot just off the coast of Miami may host a school of these precious babies.

The team got its first inkling of something special in June 2018, when researchers caught a juvenile great hammerhead — an interesting anomaly.

Meanwhile, catch limits have been placed on hammerhead sharks.

According to many fans and critics, the show hurdled the hammerhead a long time ago.

A hammerhead's nest on one of the trees was fully four feet high.

A vicious-looking hammerhead shark was zeroing in, directly behind his friend!

Ang kamambad sa pamingkúngan, The fierceness of a hammerhead shark.

Old hammerhead repelled the insinuation, and swore that cheaper or better pots were never seen in the kitchen of a king.

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