in golf, "straight-faced niblick," (Linskill's "Golf," 1889, calls it "a cross between a niblick and a lofting-iron"), historical version of a modern five iron, 1881, mashy, from Scottish, probably named for a mason's hammer, from French massue "club," from Vulgar Latin *mattiuca, from Latin mateola "a tool for digging" (see mace (n.1)). Related: Mashie-niblick (1903).
line of Jewish princes who ruled in Judea, late 14c., from Late Latin Maccabæus, surname given to Judas, third son of Mattathias the Hasmonean, leader of the religious revolt against Antiochus IV, 175-166 B.C.E. Usually connected with Hebrew maqqabh "hammer," but Klein thinks it an inexact transliteration of Hebrew matzbi "general, commander of an army." Related: Maccabean.
mid-14c., "hammered, beaten out or shaped with a hammer," from Old French ductile or directly from Latin ductilis "that may be led or drawn," from past participle of ducere "to lead" (from PIE root *deuk- "to lead"). From 1560s as "flexible, pliable;" 1620s as "capable of being drawn out in wires or threads." Of persons, "capable of being led or drawn," 1620s. Related: Ductility.
mid-13c., meallen "to strike, beat, or bruise with a heavy weapon," from Middle English mealle (mid-13c.) "mace, wooden club, heavy hammer" (see maul (n.)). It has gradually lost its association with hammering. To maul through "pierce with a pointed weapon" is attested by mid-14c.; and compare the meaning "split (rails) with wedges and a maul" (1680s). The meaning "damage seriously, mangle" is recorded by 1690s. Related: Mauled; mauling.
"sharp, hooked, horny end of the limb of a mammal, bird, reptile, etc.," Old English clawu, earlier clea, "claw, talon, iron hook," from Proto-Germanic *klawo (source also of Old Frisian klawe "claw, hoe," Middle Dutch klouwe, Dutch klauw, Old High German klawa, German Klaue "claw").
Claw-foot in reference to carved furniture legs is from 1823; claw-and-ball attested from 1893. Claw-hammer, one having one end divided into two claws, is attested from 1769.
in various mechanical senses, such as "turn-valve of a faucet" (early 15c.), of uncertain connection with cock (n.1). Perhaps all are based on real or fancied resemblances not now obvious; German has hahn "cock" in many of the same senses.
The cock of a firearm, which when released by the action of the trigger discharges the piece, is from 1560s. Hence "position into which the hammer is brought by being pulled back to the catch" (1745). For half-cocked, see cock (v.).
It forms all or part of: abut; baste (v.3) "beat with a stick, thrash;" battledore; beat; beetle (n.2) "heavy wooden mallet;" botony; boutonniere; butt (n.1) "thick end;" butt (v.) "strike with the head;" buttocks; button; buttress; confute; halibut; rebut; refute; sackbut; turbot.
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Latin *futare "to beat" (in compounds); Old English beadu "battle," beatan "to beat," bytl "hammer, mallet."
early 15c., "dull, blunted, not sharp," from Latin obtusus "blunted, dull," also used figuratively, past participle of obtundere "to beat against, make dull," from ob "in front of; against" (see ob-) + tundere "to beat," from PIE *(s)tud-e- "to beat, strike, push, thrust," from root *(s)teu- "to push, stick, knock, beat" (source also of Latin tudes "hammer," Sanskrit tudati "he thrusts"). Sense of "stupid, not acutely sensitive or perceptive" is by c. 1500. In geometry, in reference to a plane angle greater than a right angle," 1560s. Related: Obtusely; obtuseness.
