mattock
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of mattock
before 900; Middle English mattok, Old English mattuc
Vocabulary lists containing mattock
National Spelling Bee '14: Prelims Round 2
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"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 5
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I avoid toxins of all sorts in the garden, but I am merciless with a trowel, a shovel or a mattock when it comes to plant removal.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 24, 2022
Using a small ax called a mattock to loosen the dirt, he uprooted several with a gentle tug, depositing them in a plastic grocery bag.
From New York Times • Apr. 25, 2022
A shovel works in good soil, use a mattock in heavier ground.
From Washington Post • Nov. 25, 2019
The mattock that Martin was making was going to be a gift for Rainey, which she would use in the small garden behind her house.
From The New Yorker • Apr. 19, 2019
I hunted around in the shed behind the inn and found a sort of mattock, and went down toward the stream to try and dig some worms for bait.
From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
