triphammer

or trip ham·mer

[ trip-ham-er ]

/ ˈtrɪpˌhæm ər /

Save This Word!

noun

Machinery. a heavy hammer raised and then let fall by means of some tripping device, as a cam.

adjective

of, resembling, or characteristic of the repetitive and forceful pounding of a triphammer: He was subjected to triphammer interrogation by the police detectives.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of triphammer

An Americanism dating back to 1775–85; trip¹ + hammer

Words nearby triphammer

tripe-de-roche, tripelennamine, tripersonal, tripersonality, tripetalous, triphammer, triphasic, triphenylmethane, triphenylmethane dye, triphibian, triphibious

How to use triphammer in a sentence

Geraldine's heart beat like a little triphammer, but she did not look up from her plate, nor change her listless expression.
In Apple-Blossom Time|Clara Louise Burnham
She had lifted her gaze to meet his, quite sure that her answer was not in doubt, but now her heart was beating like a triphammer.
Mavericks|William MacLeod Raine
When intoxicated, his tongue rapped out fun and fury like a triphammer.
The Lane That Had No Turning, Complete|Gilbert Parker
Frank's heart was beating like a triphammer and his nerves were at a fearful tension.
Army Boys on the Firing Line|Homer Randall

The fiddler twisted and turned, but his head went like a triphammer on the seat.
Baddeck and That Sort of Thing|Charles Dudley Warner

British Dictionary definitions for triphammer

triphammer

/ (ˈtrɪpˌhæmə) /

noun

a power hammer that is raised or tilted by a cam and allowed to fall under gravity

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