peen
Origin of peen
Words nearby peen
MORE ABOUT PEEN
What does peen mean?
A peen is the round or wedge shaped end of a hammer, opposite its face.
To peen is to enlarge, straighten, or smooth with a peen, as in Sahid smoothed the cut edge by peening it with a ball peen hammer.
To peen is also to strengthen by lightly hammering it, as in In metal shop, we peened scrap pieces to learn how to strengthen metal.
Example: Peen the bottom to give it a textured finish.
Where does peen come from?
The first records of the term peen come from the early 1500s. It is thought to have been borrowed from early Scandinavian. It is similar in origin to the term pen and pin.
The peen of a hammer comes in different shapes, such as a ball, wedge, and cross. Peens are almost always attached to hammers and rarely are seen on their own, but there are some specialized tools used only for peening something. Especially when using a flat or ball peen, the goal is to flatten or smooth out bumps, as well as to texture or dent something.
Occasionally, peen can be used as a verb meaning to hammer lightly, not necessarily with the peen, but with the face. Sometimes, peen is misused as vulgar slang for penis.
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How is peen used in real life?
Peen is not commonly used, normally used in the context of construction, demolition, or mechanics.
Gordie Howe honored in hometown Saskatoon. Great scorer, Great competitor, Remembered best for elbows like Ball-peen hammers!
— Coach Harbaugh (@CoachJim4UM) February 7, 2015
That which does not kill us makes us want to bash their heads in with a ball peen hammer.
— Danny DeVito (@DannyDeVito) December 10, 2010
Try using peen!
Is peen used correctly in the following sentence?
The hammer fell peen first into the flimsy box.