tomahawk

See also: Tomahawk

English

Etymology

From an Algonquian (most likely Powhatan) word. Compare Malecite-Passamaquoddy tomhikon (ax), Abenaki temahigan, demahigan (ax).

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈtɒ.mə.hɔːk/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈtɑ.mə.hɔk/

Noun

tomahawk (plural tomahawks)

  1. An ax/axe used by American Indian (First Nations) warriors.
    • 1615, Ralph Hamor, A True Discourse of the Present State of Virginia (published in Richmond in 1957), page 13:
      yeerely bring into our store house, at the beginning of their haruest two bushels of corne a man [...] for which they should receiue so many Iron Tomahawkes or small hatchets.
  2. (basketball) A dunk in which the person dunking the ball does so with his arm behind his head.
  3. (geometry) A geometric construction consisting of a semicircle and two line segments that serves as a tool for trisecting an angle; so called from its resemblance to the American Indian axe.
  4. (field hockey) A field hockey shot style that involves a player turning their hockey stick upside-down and swinging it so that its inside edge will come into contact with the ball.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

tomahawk (third-person singular simple present tomahawks, present participle tomahawking, simple past and past participle tomahawked)

  1. To strike with a tomahawk.
    • 1906, FE Smith, maiden speech to House of Commons, 12 Mar 1906:
      Not satisfied with tomahawking our colleagues in the country, they ask the scanty remnant in the House to join in the scalp dance.

Derived terms

Translations


French

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /tɔ.ma.ok/

Noun

tomahawk m (plural tomahawks)

  1. tomahawk

Further reading


Portuguese

Noun

tomahawk m (plural tomahawks)

  1. tomahawk (type of American Indian axe)
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