hammerhead

American  

[ham-er-hed] / ˈhæm ərˌhɛd /

noun

• hammerheads
  plural

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.

3. Also called hammerkop. a brown heronlike African bird, Scopus umbretta, having the head so crested as to resemble a claw hammer.

4. flatheaded borer.

5. Slang. blockhead; dunce; lout.

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hammerhead British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• hammerheaded
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• hammerheads
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of hammerhead

First recorded in 1525–35; hammer + head

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hammerhead hammerheads

In August, a hammerhead shark was spotted off the Malibu pier, just below the surface of the water.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

Bonnetheads are small relatives of hammerhead sharks and are the only shark species known to show clear sex based differences in head shape.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026

An 8-foot hammerhead was briefly hooked by two fishermen on the Malibu pier that year, prompting lifeguards to warn kayakers, surfers and paddlers in the water.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026

This includes groups of special sharks, such as endangered hammerhead sharks and whale sharks.

From NewsForKids.net ● Apr. 2, 2024

The old hammerhead was free to drag his nose if he wished, or to pause and crop grass beside the road.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

It’s not going to rain hammerheads and sea horses, I don’t think, but coastal destruction could be dramatic.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

Currently, 24 threatened species have international legal protection – including mako, angel, threshers and hammerheads.

From BBC ● Dec. 29, 2025

But, until now, there's been no hard data on just what the depredation rate might be, which makes it difficult to make informed conservation decisions, for either the tarpon or the hammerheads.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 22, 2024

For instance, well-enforced shark fishing bans or catch limits on threatened species such as hammerheads and oceanic whitetips worked well.

From Science Magazine ● Jan. 10, 2024

And then there were hammerheads, whose eyes branched off in far-reaching directions.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen

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