1 hammerhead | Definition of hammerhead

hammerhead

noun
ham·​mer·​head | \ ˈha-mÉ™r-ËŒhed How to pronounce hammerhead (audio) \

Definition of hammerhead

1 : the striking part of a hammer
2 : blockhead
3 : any of a family (Sphyrnidae) of active voracious medium-sized sharks that have the eyes at the ends of lateral extensions of the flattened head — see shark illustration

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Synonyms & Antonyms for hammerhead

Synonyms

airhead, birdbrain, blockhead, bonehead, bubblehead, chowderhead, chucklehead, clodpoll (or clodpole), clot [British], cluck, clunk, cretin, cuddy (or cuddie) [British dialect], deadhead, dim bulb [slang], dimwit, dip, dodo, dolt, donkey, doofus [slang], dope, dork [slang], dullard, dum-dum, dumbbell, dumbhead, dummkopf, dummy, dunce, dunderhead, fathead, gander, golem, goof, goon, half-wit, hardhead, idiot, ignoramus, imbecile, jackass, know-nothing, knucklehead, lamebrain, loggerhead [chiefly dialect], loon, lump, lunkhead, meathead, mome [archaic], moron, mug [chiefly British], mutt, natural, nimrod [slang], nincompoop, ninny, ninnyhammer, nit [chiefly British], nitwit, noddy, noodle, numskull (or numbskull), oaf, pinhead, prat [British], ratbag [chiefly Australian], saphead, schlub (also shlub) [slang], schnook [slang], simpleton, stock, stupe, stupid, thickhead, turkey, woodenhead, yahoo, yo-yo

Antonyms

brain, genius

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Examples of hammerhead in a Sentence

we despair of ever getting those hammerheads to buckle their seat belts without prodding

Recent Examples on the Web

The sharks in these attacks have not been identified, but Naylor said blacktips, spinners and juvenile sandbar sharks are frequently found in the area, and on occasion, hammerhead and tiger sharks can be seen. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, "Sharks bite 3 people in 24 hours at the same Florida beach," 5 Aug. 2019 The sharks in these attacks have not been identified, but Naylor said blacktips, spinners and juvenile sandbar sharks are frequently found in the area, and on occasion, hammerhead and tiger sharks can be seen. Allen Kim And Dylan Miettinen, CNN, "Sharks bite 3 people in 24 hours at the same Florida beach," 5 Aug. 2019 Scuba diving with hammerhead sharks, moray eels, and sea lions at Isla Espíritu Santo or stand-up paddle boarding at secluded beaches such as Balandra. Jenny Peters, National Geographic, "Baja California Sur: The ultimate road trip," 25 July 2019 Recent images from the Gulf Coast have shown a several sharks, including a hammerhead, near to the shore. Leada Gore | Lgore@al.com, al.com, "13-foot long hammerhead shark spotted off Navarre Beach," 26 June 2019 That list also includes hammerheads, lemon sharks and white sharks. Richard Tribou, orlandosentinel.com, "Florida man reels in 10-foot tiger shark, and followed the rules ... for now," 4 June 2019 The shark was a hammerhead believed to be about 13 feet long. Leada Gore | Lgore@al.com, al.com, "13-foot long hammerhead shark spotted off Navarre Beach," 26 June 2019 Also in the offing: a giant octopus playing drums, Mr. Momoa emerging from a waterfall in slow motion and Willem Dafoe with dyed eyebrows, riding an enormous hammerhead shark. Ellen Gamerman, WSJ, "The Movies to See This Holiday Season," 17 Nov. 2018 The planes can be found by searching for each aircraft's tail number: great white (N470WN), hammerhead (N705SW), mako (N961WN), tiger shark (N553WN) and bull shark (N947WN). Andrea Leinfelder, Houston Chronicle, "Southwest planes get some teeth to honor Discovery Channel's Shark Week," 9 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hammerhead.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of hammerhead

1562, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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