ANVIL Definition & Meaning

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anvil

[ an-vil ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a heavy iron block with a smooth face, frequently of steel, on which metals, usually heated until soft, are hammered into desired shapes.
anything having a similar form or use.
the fixed jaw in certain measuring instruments.
Also called anvil cloud,. Meteorology. incus ( def 2 ).
a musical percussion instrument having steel bars that are struck with a wooden or metal beater.
Anatomy. incus ( def 1 ).

anvil

/ ˈæ�Ա�ɪ�� /

noun

a heavy iron or steel block on which metals are hammered during forging
any part having a similar shape or function, such as the lower part of a telegraph key
the fixed jaw of a measurement device against which the piece to be measured is held
anatomy the nontechnical name for incus

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of anvil¹

before 900; Middle English anvelt, anfelt, Old English anfilt ( e ), anfealt; cognate with Middle Dutch anvilte, Old High German anafalz. See on, felt ²

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of anvil¹

Old English anfealt; related to Old High German anafalz, Middle Dutch anvilte; see on , felt ²

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

“Being back in the studio helps give me a sense of normalcy,” Berkofsky said as he hammered the red-hot Damascus steel on an anvil.

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Scenes from the video include the women using urinals, brandishing sex toys, and Perry being hit by an anvil – which prompts her to grow bionic legs.

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People have accused the "Woman's World" music video of using the male gaze because Perry and a cast of women are dressed as sexed-up construction workers before an anvil kills her.

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Some particularly creative otters have even been seen using boat hulls and ship ladders as makeshift “anvils” for smashing open mollusks.

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An old blacksmith struggled to hoist a small anvil onto a yak.

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