anvil

noun

an·vil ˈan-vəl How to pronounce anvil (audio)

: a heavy usually steel-faced iron block on which metal is shaped (as by hand hammering)

: incus

: the anvil–shaped top of a cumulonimbus

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web His Silverio is passive, a reactor more than a seize-the-day actor, and this has the effect of making the story of his vaunted journalistic career seem an anvil of apathy that’s hanging around the movie’s neck.

Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 1 Sep. 2022 These clouds feature pouch-like appendages that sometimes hang beneath the anvil of intense thunderstorms.

Jeff Halverson, Washington Post, 4 Aug. 2022 The two got their hands on an anvil, a mechanic’s hammer, and some pliers and watched some YouTube videos.

Devorah Lev-tov, Robb Report, 25 July 2022 Plus, such symptoms could be the sign of other more serious problems such as a stroke, a brain hemorrhage, or an anvil falling on your head.

Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 28 May 2022 Telling the board of directors about my mental health and hearing their compassionate response lifted an anvil of anxiety off my chest and loosened the noose of shame around my neck.

Andy Dunn As Told To Marty Munson, Men's Health, 10 May 2022 The news of 2022 is like an anvil weighing down on our collective psyche.

Longreads, 13 Mar. 2020 That parks the anvil of responsibility squarely on the shoulders of those with the most money in the game who tossed locks on the gates.

Bryce Miller Columnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2022 That anvil of debt often weighs borrowers down for years, forcing them to postpone plans to buy a home, start a business or even have children, King said.

Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2022 See More

Word History

Etymology

Middle English anfeld, anefelt, anvelt, anvyll, going back to Old English anfealt and anefilt, anelfilte, going back to Germanic *ana-falta- and *ana-feltja- (whence also, from the first, Old High German anafalz "anvil" and from the second, Middle Dutch aenvilte, anevilte), from *ana- "on" and *-falta-, *-feltja-, nominal derivatives from *faltan-, taken to mean "to strike, beat" — more at felt entry 1

Note: The word anvil was originally a deverbal compound meaning in effect "the thing on which striking is done." Already in Old English the makeup of the compound would have been less than transparent, as a verb corresponding to the deverbal second element -fealt/-filt(e) does not appear to have existed (or at least is not attested). Such a verb does exist in Old High German, though only in extended and/or specialized senses (see the note at felt entry 1). Parallel to *ana-falta-/*ana-feltja- were other Germanic compounds meaning "anvil": *ana-bauta- (whence Middle Low German anebōt, ambōt, Old High German anabōz, present-day German Amboß), from *bautan- "to strike, beat" (see beat entry 1); and *ana-baltja- (whence Middle Low German ānebelte, Middle Dutch aenbelt, Dutch aanbeeld, Old High German anabelzi) and *ana-bulta- (whence Middle Low German ānebolt, ambolt, Old High German anabolz), from the verbal base behind Old English bolt "bolt, arrow," Old High German bolz "bolt, hot iron" (see bolt entry 1). It has been suggested that all the Germanic compounds are calques on Latin incūd-. incūs "anvil," formed from in- in- entry 2 + cūdere "to beat, strike, hammer." Alternatively, the formation of such nouns may have been a European areal feature; compare Russian nakovál'nja "anvil," from na- "on" and a derivative of the verb kovát' "to hammer, forge," Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian nâkōvanj.

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

单词	anvil
释义	anvil noun an·vil ˈan-vəl 1 : a heavy usually steel-faced iron block on which metal is shaped (as by hand hammering) 2 : incus 3 : the anvil–shaped top of a cumulonimbus Illustration of anvil anvil 1 Example Sentences Recent Examples on the Web His Silverio is passive, a reactor more than a seize-the-day actor, and this has the effect of making the story of his vaunted journalistic career seem an anvil of apathy that’s hanging around the movie’s neck. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 1 Sep. 2022 These clouds feature pouch-like appendages that sometimes hang beneath the anvil of intense thunderstorms. Jeff Halverson, Washington Post, 4 Aug. 2022 The two got their hands on an anvil, a mechanic’s hammer, and some pliers and watched some YouTube videos. Devorah Lev-tov, Robb Report, 25 July 2022 Plus, such symptoms could be the sign of other more serious problems such as a stroke, a brain hemorrhage, or an anvil falling on your head. Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 28 May 2022 Telling the board of directors about my mental health and hearing their compassionate response lifted an anvil of anxiety off my chest and loosened the noose of shame around my neck. Andy Dunn As Told To Marty Munson, Men's Health, 10 May 2022 The news of 2022 is like an anvil weighing down on our collective psyche. Longreads, 13 Mar. 2020 That parks the anvil of responsibility squarely on the shoulders of those with the most money in the game who tossed locks on the gates. Bryce Miller Columnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2022 That anvil of debt often weighs borrowers down for years, forcing them to postpone plans to buy a home, start a business or even have children, King said. Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2022 See More Word History Etymology Middle English anfeld, anefelt, anvelt, anvyll, going back to Old English anfealt and anefilt, anelfilte, going back to Germanic ana-falta- and ana-feltja- (whence also, from the first, Old High German anafalz "anvil" and from the second, Middle Dutch aenvilte, anevilte), from ana- "on" and -falta-, -feltja-, nominal derivatives from faltan-, taken to mean "to strike, beat" — more at felt entry 1 Note: The word anvil was originally a deverbal compound meaning in effect "the thing on which striking is done." Already in Old English the makeup of the compound would have been less than transparent, as a verb corresponding to the deverbal second element -fealt/-filt(e) does not appear to have existed (or at least is not attested). Such a verb does exist in Old High German, though only in extended and/or specialized senses (see the note at felt entry 1). Parallel to ana-falta-/ana-feltja- were other Germanic compounds meaning "anvil": ana-bauta- (whence Middle Low German anebōt, ambōt,* Old High German anabōz, present-day German Amboß), from bautan- "to strike, beat" (see beat entry 1); and ana-baltja- (whence Middle Low German ānebelte, Middle Dutch aenbelt, Dutch aanbeeld, Old High German anabelzi) and ana-bulta- (whence Middle Low German ānebolt, ambolt,* Old High German anabolz), from the verbal base behind Old English bolt "bolt, arrow," Old High German bolz "bolt, hot iron" (see bolt entry 1). It has been suggested that all the Germanic compounds are calques on Latin incūd-. incūs "anvil," formed from in- in- entry 2 + cūdere "to beat, strike, hammer." Alternatively, the formation of such nouns may have been a European areal feature; compare Russian nakovál'nja "anvil," from na- "on" and a derivative of the verb kovát' "to hammer, forge," Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian nâkōvanj. First Known Use before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Kids Definition anvil noun an·vil ˈan-vəl : an iron block on which pieces of metal are hammered into shape Medical Definition anvil noun an·vil ˈan-vəl : incus
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anvil

noun

Illustration of anvil

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

noun

Medical Definition

noun