jackhammer

[jak-ham-er]

noun

1. a portable drill operated by compressed air and used to drill rock, break up pavement, etc.

jackhammer

/ ˈdʒækˌhæmə /

noun

1. a hand-held hammer drill, driven by compressed air, for drilling rocks, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of jackhammer¹

An Americanism dating back to 1925–30; jack ¹ + hammer

Example Sentences

In the end, Guadagnino takes a jackhammer to everything he’s spent the last two-plus hours so meticulously building, but not quite in the way one might expect.

From Salon

Crucially, the song avoids the Eurovision cliches of jackhammer dance anthems and windswept balladry – something Remember Monday have in common with this year's favourites.

From BBC

The roar of bulldozers and jackhammers drilling into piles of debris is almost constant.

From BBC

“There will be a moment in time in 2028 when there will be no construction at LAX. There will be no jackhammers in the central terminal, there will be no orange cones,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

Led by Luis Chiappe, director of the Natural History Museum’s Dinosaur Institute, the paleontologists return with generators and tents and jackhammers and dental picks.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• beat 
• knock 
• plunge 
• run 
• shoot 
• strike 
• throw