anvil en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈæn.vəl/ (US)
- /ˈæn.vɪl/ (UK)
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˈæn.vɪl/ (US)
Etymology
From Middle English anfilt, anvelt, anfelt, from late Old English anfilt, anfilte, anfealt, from earlier onfilti (“anvil”), from Proto-West Germanic *anafalt (compare Middle Dutch anvilte, Low German Anfilts, Anefilt, Old High German anafalz), compound of *ana (“on”) + *falt (“beaten”) (compare German falzen (“to groove, fold, welt”), Swedish dialectal filta (“to beat”)), from Proto-Indo-European *pelh₂-t- (“shaken, beaten”) (compare Middle Irish lethar (“leather”), Latin pellō (“to beat, strike”), Ancient Greek πάλλω (pállō, “to toss, brandish”)), enlargement of Proto-Indo-European *pelh₂- (“to stir, move”). More at felon.
Meanings
-
A heavy iron block used in the blacksmithing trade as a surface upon which metal can be struck and shaped.
1794, William Blake, “The Tyger,” lines 15-16, What the anvil? what dread grasp / Dare its deadly terrors clasp?
Thus at the flaming forge of life / Our fortunes must be wrought; / Thus on its sounding anvil shaped / Each burning deed and thought!
1839, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “[Miscellaneous.] w:The Village Blacksmith.”, in Ballads and Other Poems, 2nd edition, Cambridge, Mass.: […] John Owen, published 1842, →OCLC, stanza 8, page 102:I saw a smith stand with his hammer, thus, The whilst his iron did on the anvil cool, With open mouth swallowing a tailor’s news […]
c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:With an anvil-ding / And with fire in him forge thy will / Or rather, rather then, stealing as Spring / Through him, melt him but master him still: [...]
1875–1876, Gerard Manley Hopkins, “The Wreck of the Deutschland”, in Robert Bridges, editor, Poems of Gerard Manley Hopkins: Now First Published […], London: Humphrey Milford, published 1918, →OCLC, part 1, stanza 10, page 14:My heart is as an anvil unto sorrow, Which beats upon it like the Cyclops’ hammers […]
1594, Christopher Marlow[e], The Troublesome Raigne and Lamentable Death of Edward the Second, King of England: […], London: […] [Eliot’s Court Press] for Henry Bell, […], published 1622, →OCLC, [Act I]:
- The incus bone in the middle ear.
- A stone or other hard surface used by a bird for breaking the shells of snails.
- The non-moving surface of a micrometer against which the item to be measured is placed.
- A horizontal-topped mass of cloud, shaped like a blacksmith's anvil, that forms before a thunderstorm.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| anvils | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
anvilicious · anvilsmith · anvil cloud · diamond anvil cell · between the hammer and the anvil · on the anvil · anvillike · hammer and anvil
Synonyms
Translations (205)
de Amboss (bone in inner ear) · ar عَلَاة (block used in blacksmithing) · yi קאָוואַדלע (block used in blacksmithing) · id tulang landasan (bone in inner ear) · rm mass (block used in blacksmithing) · id tulang landasan (block used in blacksmithing) · eu ingude (block used in blacksmithing) · af incus (bone in inner ear) · mi paekuru (block used in blacksmithing) · ro nicovală (block used in blacksmithing) · ce нуьйжа (block used in blacksmithing) · sc alcútina (block used in blacksmithing) · az zindan (block used in blacksmithing) · mk накова́лна (bone in inner ear) · is ambolti (block used in blacksmithing) · th กระดูกทั่ง (bone in inner ear) · ca enclusa (block used in blacksmithing) · da ambolt (block used in blacksmithing) · yue 鐵砧 /铁砧 (block used in blacksmithing) · uk кова́дло (block used in blacksmithing) · mr ऐरण (block used in blacksmithing) · rm massa (block used in blacksmithing) · pdt Aumbolt (block used in blacksmithing) · uz sandon (block used in blacksmithing) · el αμόνι (block used in blacksmithing) · chr ᎠᏐᏗᏔᎷᎩᏍᎩᎤᎵᎩ (block used in blacksmithing) · el άκμονας (bone in inner ear) · orv ковальнꙗ (block used in blacksmithing) · mn дөш (block used in blacksmithing) · sh nakovanj (block used in blacksmithing) · sl nakovalce (bone in inner ear) · da ambolt (bone in inner ear) · af inkus (bone in inner ear) · eu ingude (bone in inner ear) · cs kovadlina (block used in blacksmithing) · nl aambeeldsbeentje (bone in inner ear) · cmn 鐵砧 /铁砧 (block used in blacksmithing) · sc incútine (block used in blacksmithing) · lt priekalas (block used in blacksmithing) · enm stithy (block used in blacksmithing) · bg накова́лня (block used in blacksmithing) · vec incuxene (block used in blacksmithing) · be кава́дла (block used in blacksmithing) · gu એરણ (bone in inner ear) · sk nákovka (bone in inner ear) · ota سندان (block used in blacksmithing) · ro ilău (block used in blacksmithing) · fi alasin (block used in blacksmithing) · hy զնդան (block used in blacksmithing) · hy սալ (bone in inner ear) · gl zafra (block used in blacksmithing) · gl ingre (block used in blacksmithing) · bg наковалня (bone in inner ear) · fr incus (bone in inner ear) · rm inchüna (block used in blacksmithing) · hu üllő (bone in inner ear) · sh nakovanj (bone in inner ear) · ab аԥсангьари́ (block used in blacksmithing) · ro nicovală (bone in inner ear) · sh наковањ (block used in blacksmithing) · kfr એણ (bone in inner ear) · nl aanbeeldsbeentje (bone in inner ear) · ceb yungki (block used in blacksmithing) · tl palihan (block used in blacksmithing) · aht ukʼecʼetsedi (block used in blacksmithing) · ms paron (block used in blacksmithing) · bua дүшэ (block used in blacksmithing) · ota اورس (block used in blacksmithing) · crh gürsü (block used in blacksmithing) · tr örs (bone in inner ear) · sc incúdine (block used in blacksmithing) · scn ncùnia (block used in blacksmithing) · oc enclutge (block used in blacksmithing) · is steðji (block used in blacksmithing) · sc incódina (block used in blacksmithing) · fur lincuin (block used in blacksmithing) · th ทั่ง (block used in blacksmithing) · sk nákova (block used in blacksmithing) · ka გრდემლის ძვალი (bone in inner ear) · az dəmirçi zindanı (block used in blacksmithing) · mk накова́лна (block used in blacksmithing) · ka გრდემლი (block used in blacksmithing) · enm anvelt (block used in blacksmithing) · yue 砧骨 (bone in inner ear) · ta பட்டடை (block used in blacksmithing) · izh alaisin (block used in blacksmithing) · haw kuahao (block used in blacksmithing) · jv paron (block used in blacksmithing) · nl aanbeeld (block used in blacksmithing) · sv städ (block used in blacksmithing) · et alasi (block used in blacksmithing) · vi (cái) đe (block used in blacksmithing) · ast xunque (block used in blacksmithing) · pl kowadełko (bone in inner ear) · cs kovadlina (bone in inner ear) · no ambolt (bone in inner ear) · vi xương đe (bone in inner ear) · de Amboss (block used in blacksmithing) · mi kurutangi (bone in inner ear) · ru накова́льня (block used in blacksmithing) · no ste (block used in blacksmithing) · pt bigorna (block used in blacksmithing) · sv städ (bone in inner ear) · fo stiði (block used in blacksmithing) · kk төс (block used in blacksmithing) · id paron (block used in blacksmithing) · br annev (bone in inner ear) · ja 砧骨 (bone in inner ear) · el αμόνι (bone in inner ear) · hi निहाई (block used in blacksmithing) · is steðji (bone in inner ear) · gl bigornia (bone in inner ear) · fi alasin (bone in inner ear) · ru накова́льня (bone in inner ear) · ga inneoin (block used in blacksmithing) · cmn 砧骨 (bone in inner ear) · fr enclume (block used in blacksmithing) · rm mazza (block used in blacksmithing) · gl bigornia (block used in blacksmithing) · nl aambeeld (block used in blacksmithing) · tr örs (block used in blacksmithing) · pt bigorna (bone in inner ear) · la incūs (bone in inner ear) · da sted (block used in blacksmithing) · cu наковало (block used in blacksmithing) · hsb nakowa (block used in blacksmithing) · fi alasinluu (bone in inner ear) · br annev (block used in blacksmithing) · enm stith (block used in blacksmithing) · hy սալ (block used in blacksmithing) · he סַדָּן (block used in blacksmithing) · ms andas (bone in inner ear) · pl kowadło (block used in blacksmithing) · rm anchüna (block used in blacksmithing) · alt тӧжи (block used in blacksmithing) · es yunque (block used in blacksmithing) · fa سندان (block used in blacksmithing) · te దాగిలి (block used in blacksmithing) · fo steðji (block used in blacksmithing) · eo amboso (block used in blacksmithing) · vec ancuzen (block used in blacksmithing) · lv lakta (block used in blacksmithing) · no ambolt (block used in blacksmithing) · af aambeeld (block used in blacksmithing) · cv сунтал (block used in blacksmithing) · nl aanbeeld (bone in inner ear) · hu üllő (block used in blacksmithing) · es tas (block used in blacksmithing) · ca enclusa (bone in inner ear) · ba түш (block used in blacksmithing) · it incudine (block used in blacksmithing) · af aambeeld (bone in inner ear) · et alasi (bone in inner ear) · sc ancódina (block used in blacksmithing) · az zindan sümükcüyü (bone in inner ear) · dlm ancusene (block used in blacksmithing) · ms andas (block used in blacksmithing) · non steði (block used in blacksmithing) · sc incódine (block used in blacksmithing) · alt тӧжӱ (block used in blacksmithing) · sc incúdina (block used in blacksmithing) · nog сандал (block used in blacksmithing) · vec incuzene (block used in blacksmithing) · nl aambeeld (bone in inner ear) · grc μύδρος (block used in blacksmithing) · ba һандал (block used in blacksmithing) · jv landesan (block used in blacksmithing) · kmr dezge (bone in inner ear) · bn নিহাই (block used in blacksmithing) · fur incuin (block used in blacksmithing) · xsv preikalis (block used in blacksmithing) · fr enclume (bone in inner ear) · it incudine (bone in inner ear) · fo amboltur (block used in blacksmithing) · sah кыстык (block used in blacksmithing) · hsb ambos (block used in blacksmithing) · gu એરણ (block used in blacksmithing) · uk кова́делко (bone in inner ear) · tk sandal (block used in blacksmithing) · ja 金床 (block used in blacksmithing) · ar سَنْدان (block used in blacksmithing) · sl nakovalo (block used in blacksmithing) · ar سِنْدَان (block used in blacksmithing) · la incūs (block used in blacksmithing) · cy einion (block used in blacksmithing) · tyv дөжү (block used in blacksmithing) · grc ἄκμων (block used in blacksmithing) · sw fuawe (block used in blacksmithing) · vec encuzen (block used in blacksmithing) · gl engra (block used in blacksmithing) · ky дөшү (block used in blacksmithing) · sq kudhër (block used in blacksmithing) · es bigornia (block used in blacksmithing) · sd سَنداڻُ (block used in blacksmithing) · vec ancùxene (block used in blacksmithing) · gl incle (block used in blacksmithing) · pa ਅਹਰਣ (block used in blacksmithing) · kw anwan (block used in blacksmithing) · es yunque (bone in inner ear) · izh alain (block used in blacksmithing) · ms landasan (block used in blacksmithing) · sco studdy (block used in blacksmithing) · ko 모루 (block used in blacksmithing) · xal дәш (block used in blacksmithing) · tt сандал (block used in blacksmithing)