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
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"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 5
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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.
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
“That’s a constant battle,” Osborne said with a cheery wave, heading down the trail, mattock in hand.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 25, 2022
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
I know it, for now and then I hear a far-away muffled sound as of mattock and spade, and, whatever it is, it must be the end of some ruthless villainy.
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
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.
