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
I find a mattock is a great tool for planting little plugs, especially in heavy soil.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 27, 2021
She brought down the mattock and came up with a palm-size root the dirty white of ivory.
From Washington Post • Oct. 6, 2017
She can appear as a fierce temple guardian, her hefty pick mattock hanging like a threat from her backpack.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2015
Such lowly offices as I had performed for the rebels, I was now commissioned to perform for the King’s Army: the work of mattock, spade, and shovel.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
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.
