anvil

[ an-vil ]

noun

1. a heavy iron block with a smooth face, frequently of steel, on which metals, usually heated until soft, are hammered into desired shapes.
2. anything having a similar form or use.
3. the fixed jaw in certain measuring instruments.
4. Also called anvil cloud,. Meteorology. incus ( def 2 ).
5. a musical percussion instrument having steel bars that are struck with a wooden or metal beater.
6. Anatomy. incus ( def 1 ).

anvil

/ ˈænvɪl /

noun

1. a heavy iron or steel block on which metals are hammered during forging
2. any part having a similar shape or function, such as the lower part of a telegraph key
3. the fixed jaw of a measurement device against which the piece to be measured is held
4. anatomy the nontechnical name for incus

Word History and Origins

Origin of anvil¹

before 900; Middle English anvelt, anfelt, Old English anfilt ( e ), anfealt; cognate with Middle Dutch anvilte, Old High German anafalz. See on, felt ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of anvil¹

Old English anfealt; related to Old High German anafalz, Middle Dutch anvilte; see on , felt ²

Example Sentences

Scenes from the video include the women using urinals, brandishing sex toys, and Perry being hit by an anvil – which prompts her to grow bionic legs.

From BBC

People have accused the "Woman's World" music video of using the male gaze because Perry and a cast of women are dressed as sexed-up construction workers before an anvil kills her.

From Salon

Some particularly creative otters have even been seen using boat hulls and ship ladders as makeshift “anvils” for smashing open mollusks.

From Science Magazine

An old blacksmith struggled to hoist a small anvil onto a yak.

From Literature

That plan allegedly involved throwing an anvil through Ms Butler's windshield while driving "because anvils regularly fall off work vehicles".

From BBC