mattock

American  

[mat-uhk] / ˈmæt ək /

noun

1. an instrument for loosening the soil in digging, shaped like a pickax, but having one end broad instead of pointed.

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mattock British  

/ ˈmætək /

noun

1. a type of large pick that has one end of its blade shaped like an adze, used for loosening soil, cutting roots, etc

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Etymology

Origin of mattock

before 900; Middle English mattok, Old English mattuc

Example Sentences

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

Form a trench with a mattock and lay the edging in a way that most of it is buried.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 1, 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

She brought down the mattock and came up with a palm-size root the dirty white of ivory.

From Washington Post • Oct. 6, 2017

But this discomfort was worth it because when he gripped the mattock, a digging tool that looked a lot like a spear, his blisters thanked him by not erupting in pain.

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young