battering ram

noun

1. an ancient military device with a heavy horizontal ram for battering down walls, gates, etc.
2. any of various similar devices, usually machine-powered, used in demolition, by police and firefighters to force entrance to a building, etc.

battering ram

noun

1. (esp formerly) a large beam used to break down the walls or doors of fortifications

Word History and Origins

Origin of battering ram¹

First recorded in 1605–15

Example Sentences

A subsequent police report contained errors, including listing Taylor's injuries as "none" and saying no force was used to enter, when a battering ram had been used.

From BBC

Hutt, in an interview, drew a comparison between the robot dog and the LAPD’s “battering ram” — a massive truck that tore down crack houses in the 1980s and prompted an uproar from community groups.

From Los Angeles Times

During the search, she said, officers discovered that Sparks had barricaded himself in a homemade bunker beneath the home and was armed with a rifle, prompting police to use a drone and then a battering ram to knock down walls of the house.

From Los Angeles Times

At a Redlands nudist ranch, police used a battering ram to breach the home of a person who may have been involved in the disappearance of a couple.

From Los Angeles Times

Police officers converged on a Redlands nudist ranch on Thursday, using a battering ram to break into the home of a suspect in the disappearance of a local couple.

From Los Angeles Times