Hammer

See also: hammer, hämmer, and Hämmer

English

Etymology

Shortened West Ham +‎ -er, with a pun on hammer.

Noun

Hammer (plural Hammers)

1. (soccer) someone connected with West Ham Football Club, as a fan, player, coach etc.

Proper noun

Hammer

1. A surname.

Statistics

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Hammer is the 1,661^st most common surname in the United States, belonging to 21,709 individuals. Hammer is most common among White (92.82%) individuals.

---

German

Etymology

From Middle High German hamer, from Old High German hamar, from Proto-Germanic *hamaraz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱmoros, from *h₂éḱmō (“stone”).

Compare Low German Hamer, Dutch hamer, English hammer, West Frisian hammer, Danish hammer, Swedish hammare.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhamɐ/
• Rhymes: -amɐ

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

Hammer m (strong, genitive Hammers, plural Hämmer or Hammer, diminutive Hämmerchen n or Hämmerlein n)

1. hammer, mallet

   Synonym: (regional) Mottek

   Er schlug sich mit dem Hammer auf den Daumen.

   He hit his thumb with the hammer.

2. (informal) sensation, something extraordinary (be it positive or negative)

   Die Entlassung des Ministers war ein Hammer.

   The minister's dismissal was a sensation.

   Ihr seid der Hammer!

   You all are awesome!

3. (sports) a hard shot, slam

   Der Torwart parierte einen Hammer von der Strafraumgrenze.

   The keeper saved a hard shot from the 18-yard line.

Usage notes

• The unchanged plural Hammer is usual (perhaps even predominant) in the figurative senses 2 and 3. It also occurs in the concrete sense “hammer”, but this may be considered nonstandard.

Declension

Declension of Hammer [masculine, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Hammer	die	Hämmer, Hammer
genitive	eines	des	Hammers	der	Hämmer, Hammer
dative	einem	dem	Hammer	den	Hämmern, Hammern
accusative	einen	den	Hammer	die	Hämmer, Hammer

Derived terms

• behämmert
• Gummihammer
• hammerhart
• hämmern
• Presslufthammer
• Vorschlaghammer

 

Further reading

• “Hammer” in Duden online
• “Hammer” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

---

Pennsylvania German

Etymology

From Middle High German hamer, from Old High German hamar. Compare German Hammer, Dutch hamer, English hammer.

Noun

Hammer m (plural Hammer, second plural Hemmer)

1. hammer