ramrod

[ ram-rod ]

/ ˈræmˌrɒd /

noun

a rod for ramming down the charge of a muzzleloading firearm.

a cleaning rod for the barrel of a firearm.

a strict disciplinarian; martinet.

verb (used with object), ram·rod·ded, ram·rod·ding.

to exert discipline and authority on.

to strike or injure with or as if with a ramrod.

to accomplish or put into action by force, intimidation, etc.: to ramrod a bill through Congress.

QUIZZES

TAKE THIS QUIZ TO SEE WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL PUNCTUATION!

Commas mark divisions in sentences. Periods end declarative sentences. Apostrophes show possession. Easy, right? Well, punctuation can get pretty tricky—fast. Think you got what it takes to be a punctuation expert? Take our quiz to prove it!

Question 1 of 10

Which of the options below is the best punctuation for the sentence? It__s your turn to pick the movie __ but your sister gets to pick the board game we _ re going to play.

Its your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.

It’s your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game were going to play.

It’s your turn to pick the movie, but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of ramrod

First recorded in 1750–60; ram¹ + rod

Words nearby ramrod

ramphal, ramphele, rampike, rampion, rampur, ramrod, ramsay, ramsay hunt's syndrome, ramsden eyepiece, ramses, ramses i

Example sentences from the Web for ramrod

Firkin hoops, or hickory withs, about as large as the ramrod of a rifle, will answer the purpose very well.
Croquet|Anonymous
Besides the ramrod belonging to the gun, the Indians always carry another long ramrod in their hands, which they generally use.
Early Western Travels, 1748-1846, v. 23|Various
He straightened his thin, lean figure until he stood as stiff as a ramrod.
Before the Dawn|Joseph Alexander Altsheler
I put on a cap and fired at a man only a few feet away with my ramrod still in my gun.
Personal Recollections of the Civil War|James Madison Stone

That involves four or five men, lifting a kind of ramrod with a square hammer-end, from the rack, and lugging it to the cooler.
Steel|Charles Rumford Walker

British Dictionary definitions for ramrod

ramrod

/ (ˈræmˌrɒd) /

noun

a rod for cleaning the barrel of a rifle or other small firearms

a rod for ramming in the charge of a muzzle-loading firearm

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012