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Glite Dictionary
triphammer

triphammer

1 9.8
A very large heavy hammer that a machine lifts and drops to shape hot metal
  • noun
  • /ˈtrɪpˌhæmər/
  • Archaic
translation icon : martillo de tripa

Examples

  • That right hand is like a triphammer!

    Rocky III (1982)

  • Lando's heart beat like a triphammer.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • In Rochester, the roaring waters of the Genesee powered the triphammers, mills, and factories that drove that city to industrial prominence.

  • The large triphammer pounded the metal into shape, creating the perfect component for the machinery.

  • Workers used the triphammer in the forge to shape hot iron with impressive speed and power.

Synonyms

hammer
vstriphammer
188 1.0

A tool with a heavy head for hitting nails or wood

is larger and uses a cam to drop a heavy head for forging
power hammer
vstriphammer
  • Specialized
6.5

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

operates by a cam and gravity rather than by air or electricity

How Powerful

drop hammer
  • Specialized
8.2
power hammer
  • Specialized
6.5
triphammer
  • Archaic
1 9.8
sledgehammer
35 3.9
claw hammer
3 2.9

Surface Forms

triphammer singular
triphammers plural

Morphology

triphammer = trip + hammer (semi-transparent) = trip + hammer

The components 'trip' and 'hammer' are identifiable, but the specialized mechanical sense of 'trip' (to release/trigger) may be unfamiliar to many learners.

Etymology

Triphammer comes from the verb trip, meaning 'to release' or 'let fall', plus hammer. It helps to imagine a machine that 'trips' or releases a very heavy hammer so it drops onto hot metal to shape it.