haymaker

American  

[hey-mey-ker] / ˈheɪˌmeɪ kər /

noun

1. a person or machine that cuts hay and spreads it to dry.

2. Slang. a punch delivered with great force, especially one that results in a knockout.

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haymaker British  

/ ˈheɪˌmeɪkə /

noun

1. a person who helps to cut, turn, toss, spread, or carry hay

2. Also called: hay conditioner.  either of two machines, one designed to crush stems of hay, the other to break and bend them, in order to cause more rapid and even drying

3. slang boxing a wild swinging punch

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Other Word Forms

• haymaking adjective

Etymology

Origin of haymaker

1400–50; 1910–15 haymaker for def. 2; late Middle English heymakere. See hay, maker

Example Sentences

She said Jackson was not the aggressor and had not thrown a "haymaker".

From BBC • Jan. 10, 2025

Months of soul searching had led USC to the brink of that moment Saturday, having fought its way back once, then again, then again, returning every haymaker from Michigan with a punch of its own.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 4, 2025

But then comes the real haymaker: Not only is Apple unfairly messing with apps like WhatsApp, but with anyone who sends texts from non-iPhones, period.

From Slate • Mar. 21, 2024

On and on, both high-powered programs repeated the recipe — success, mistake, heaving haymaker.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 14, 2023

I thought it was a decent punch, nothing special, just something to give me more room to operate, but the metal monster shrieked in pain and staggered back like I’d landed a haymaker.

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia