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Glite Dictionary
pneumatic hammer

pneumatic hammer

5.1
A heavy tool that uses air to break concrete or rock
  • noun
  • /njuˈmætɪk ˈhæmər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : martillo neumático

Examples

  • The pneumatic hammer is an important innovation in the tools industry that has reduced building construction costs.

    Academic text (1991)

  • The construction crew used a pneumatic hammer to break up the concrete quickly and efficiently.

  • She watched as the workers operated a pneumatic hammer to remove the old pavement.

  • With the help of a pneumatic hammer, they were able to demolish the outdated building in just a few hours.

Synonyms

hammer
vspneumatic hammer
188 1.0

A tool with a heavy head for hitting nails or wood

is a specialized heavy powered tool for breaking concrete and rock
jackhammer
vspneumatic hammer
  • US
24 4.9

A heavy tool that breaks concrete and other hard surfaces

uses only compressed air rather than multiple power sources
pneumatic drill
vspneumatic hammer
  • Specialized
1 5.0

A heavy drill that uses compressed air to break concrete or road surfaces

breaks material with heavy repetitive blows rather than drilling action
air hammer
vspneumatic hammer
  • Specialized
1 5.0

A tool that runs on air to give strong, fast blows to metal

is meant for heavy breaking of concrete and rock rather than metal shaping
power hammer
vspneumatic hammer
  • Specialized
6.5

A machine that uses air or electricity to hit metal and rock repeatedly

focuses on breaking hard materials like concrete rather than shaping or drilling

Surface Forms

pneumatic hammer singular
pneumatic hammers plural

Morphology

pneumatic + hammer

The meaning 'tool powered by compressed air' is directly derivable from combining 'pneumatic' (operated by air/gas pressure) with 'hammer' (a heavy tool). This noun–noun, literal composition follows predictable technical naming patterns found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Pneumatic hammer is named from the words pneumatic, which means 'air-powered', and hammer, a tool that hits. So imagine a heavy hammer moved by compressed air that smashes rock or concrete, and you can see why it means 'a heavy tool powered by compressed air to break hard materials'.