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.

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Origin of ramrod

First recorded in 1750–60; ram¹ + rod

Words nearby ramrod

rampike, rampion, ramp up, Rampur, ram raid, ramrod, Ramsay, Ramsay Hunt's syndrome, Ramsden eyepiece, Ramses, Ramses I

How to use ramrod in a sentence

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