anvil
noun
an·vil
| \ ˈan-vəl
\
\
Definition of anvil
1
: a heavy usually steel-faced iron block on which metal is shaped (as by hand hammering)
2
: incus
3
: the anvil–shaped top of a cumulonimbus
Illustration of anvil
anvil 1
Examples of anvil in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
With 7:36 remaining in UConn’s penultimate game of the 2018-19 regular season March 7 against Temple at Gampel Pavilion, Aflakpui’s hand inadvertently came down on Gilbert’s face like an anvil. — Mike Anthony, courant.com, "Mike Anthony: Alterique Gilbert is deserving of a 2019-20 season without complications," 4 July 2019 There’s bluegrass music, bell-ringing, rail-splitting, and dulcimer-making, but the highlight is seeing (and hearing) 100-pound iron anvils jettisoned into the air by exploding gunpowder. — National Geographic, "Here’s where to spend an unforgettable 4th of July," 1 July 2019 The mishmash of government rules here amounts to an anvil on program effectiveness, which has prompted companies to take charge of training programs. — Dallas Morning News, Twin Cities, "Other voices: Trump plan to expand apprenticeships is timely, intriguing," 30 June 2019 This suggests they were used mainly on seeds (possibly from cassava) smaller than the cashews which today’s monkeys pound, meaning hammerstone and anvil often came into contact with one another. — The Economist, "Capuchin monkeys have been using stone tools for around 3,000 years," 27 June 2019 On the other side of the globe, in the Brazilian Amazon, palm nuts are smashed hammer-and-anvil style by capuchins — clever monkeys boasting the largest brain-to-body size ratio of any primate besides humans. — Bridget Alex, Discover Magazine, "A Primer to Our Planet of Monkeys," 12 June 2019 Meaning what? Meaning an anvil drops — Klonk! — on somebody’s unsuspecting noggin. — Soren Andersen, The Seattle Times, "‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’: Pure fun flies by in ‘zip-zap-zop’ fashion," 10 Dec. 2018 Just a band dragging an anvil down the road for decades. — Andrew Dansby, Houston Chronicle, "One more storm of blood from Slayer, on the metals band’s final tour," 13 June 2018 Not just any knives, but ones forged from alloy steel and hardened with extreme blasts of fire and liquid nitrogen—knives that require hours of anvil-pounding at his metal shop near Temecula. — Garrett Snyder, Los Angeles Magazine, "Chef Adam Perry Lang Is Making the Knives for His Hollywood Steak House by Hand," 14 Mar. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'anvil.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for anvil
anvil
noun
English Language Learners Definition of anvil
: a heavy iron block on which heated metal is shaped by hitting it with a hammer
See the full definition for anvil in the English Language Learners Dictionary
anvil
noun
an·vil
| \ ˈan-vəl
\
\
Kids Definition of anvil
: an iron block on which pieces of metal are hammered into shape
anvil
noun
an·vil
| \ ˈan-vəl
\
\
Medical Definition of anvil
: incus
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