hammerhead

[ ham-er-hed ]

noun

1. the part of a hammer designed for striking.
2. a shark of the genus Sphyrna, especially S. zygaena, having the head heads expanded laterally so as to resemble a double-headed hammer, sometimes dangerous to swimmers.
3. Also called ham·mer·kop [ham, -er-kop]. a brown heronlike African bird, Scopus umbretta, having the head heads so crested as to resemble a claw hammer.
4. flatheaded borer.
5. Slang. blockhead; dunce; lout.

hammerhead

/ ˈhæməˌhɛd /

noun

1. any shark of the genus Sphyrna and family Sphyrnidae, having a flattened hammer-shaped head
2. a heavily built tropical African wading bird, Scopus umbretta, related to the herons, having a dark plumage and a long backward-pointing crest: family Scopidae, order Ciconiiformes
3. a large African fruit bat, Hypsignathus monstrosus, with a large square head and hammer-shaped muzzle

Derived Forms

• ˈhammerˌheaded, adjective

Other Words From

• hammer·headed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hammerhead¹

First recorded in 1525–35; hammer + head

Example Sentences

This includes groups of special sharks, such as endangered hammerhead sharks and whale sharks.

From NewsForKids.net

Chicken gasped when he saw a papier-mâché hammerhead topping an arrangement of shark books.

From Literature

In these experiments, the RNA strand being copied is a "hammerhead," a small molecule that cleaves other RNA molecules into pieces.

From Science Daily

They then caught and tagged 51 tarpon and 14 hammerhead sharks.

From Science Daily

Kaneohe Bay is home to coral reefs, an ancient Hawaiian fishpond and a breeding ground for hammerhead sharks.

From Seattle Times