mattock
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of mattock
before 900; Middle English mattok, Old English mattuc
Vocabulary lists containing mattock
National Spelling Bee '14: Prelims Round 2
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 5
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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.
Using a small ax called a mattock to loosen the dirt, he uprooted several with a gentle tug, depositing them in a plastic grocery bag.
From New York Times • Apr. 25, 2022
Otherwise, you can create planting holes with a sharp ax and mattock, and your new tree should expand its root system as the old tree’s roots decay.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 27, 2021
The mattock that Martin was making was going to be a gift for Rainey, which she would use in the small garden behind her house.
From The New Yorker • Apr. 19, 2019
But her next disability check was three days away, and she didn’t have enough roots, not nearly enough, so down the mattock went again.
From Washington Post • Oct. 6, 2017
On the grassy bank where it was damp I drove the mattock into the earth and loosened a chunk of sod.
From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway
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.
