ramrod

[ ram-rod ]

/ ˈræmˌrɒd /

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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.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of ramrod

First recorded in 1750–60; ram¹ + rod

Words nearby ramrod

rampike, rampion, ramp-up, Rampur, ram raid, ramrod, Ramsay, Ramsden eyepiece, Ramses, Ramses I, Ramses II

How to use ramrod in a sentence

Once airborne, the skater snaps into a ramrod straight position, tucking the arms and legs into the center of the body and axis of rotation.
Why the quadruple axel jump is nearly impossible to land|Shi En Kim|February 13, 2022|Popular-Science
Her diaries, released much later, revealed a far more passionate woman than the ramrod-backed public image allows.
The Cult of Royal Porn|Tim Teeman|April 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Huffman says Bunny is a tall, slim presence with ramrod-straight bearing.
John Edwards' Sugar Mama|Lloyd Grove|January 29, 2010|DAILY BEAST
I ordered Ramrod to clap a charge of grape into one of the bow-chasers and let drive at the first object that came in sight.
The Portland Sketch Book|Various

Miss Becky, meanwhile, sat erect as a ramrod, a look of perplexity screwing her wrinkles all out of shape.
A Bookful of Girls|Anna Fuller
Ye–es,” said the lad, wincing; “just as if some one was boring a hole through my shoulder with a red-hot ramrod.
!Tention|George Manville Fenn
“Yes, we have got the guns,” said the boy; and he unslung the one he carried and began to try the charge with the ramrod.
!Tention|George Manville Fenn
Bones, standing as stiff as a ramrod before the office table at which his superior sat, saluted.
The Keepers of the King's Peace|Edgar Wallace

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