hammock
1 Americannoun
noun
noun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of hammock
First recorded in 1545–55; from Spanish hamaca, from Taíno (Hispaniola)
Explanation
A hammock is a rope or canvas bed that hangs from a stand, two trees, or another support. You might enjoy reading a book while lying in a hammock under a shady tree. Most people use hammocks to nap or relax, rather than sleeping in them all night, and many kids enjoy swinging back and forth in a hammock. In some cultures and special situations, hammocks have been used for regular sleeping — for example, hammocks were once commonly found on ships, providing sailors with easily portable beds. Hammock comes from the Spanish hamaca, a variation on the Taino hamaka, "fish nets."
Vocabulary lists containing hammock
The Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer
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Vocabulary from Academy Award Nominees and Winners
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The Lions of Little Rock
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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.
The silver lake, the tropical cove and the swinging hammock loom large in summer’s mythology because they answer our desire for enclosure and immersion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
"Everyone felt dizzy, like we were being vigorously rocked on a hammock for more than two minutes. And the shaking was getting stronger by the second," said public school teacher Cesar Sundo in Lebak town.
From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026
“Allowing myself to go outside and read in the hammock in the middle of the day or take a walk — it felt indulgent,” she says.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 10, 2025
The quirky structure is sandwiched among three gum trees and features a secret door, indoor bar, tiki torches, hammock, and rope-and-pulley system for hoisting up supplies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 28, 2025
Then I’m in a hammock on the back porch, rocking lazily in the orange light of the desert sunset, and Audrey appears and says Dad wants us to get our stuff, we’re leaving.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
