ramrod
/ˈramrɒd
/noun
1A rod for ramming down the charge of a muzzle-loading firearm.Raven now withdrew a metal ramrod that was set beneath the metal tube, and stared at it....
- We both rammed the ball down at the same time, throwing the ramrod over our shoulders carelessly.
- Another plus on the side of safety is the length of the ramrod, which matches the distance from base of breech to muzzle.
1.1Used in similes and metaphors to describe an erect or rigid posture: he held himself ramrod straight...
- Every time he appeared on screen, with his ramrod straight posture and gaze of steel, my friends and I would burst out laughing.
- On Mondays her hair is crumpled and unbrushed, she is slumped in her seat (unlike her usual ramrod posture), and she looks paler than a corpse in a coffin.
- With his ramrod posture and off-the-cuff New York delivery, Dean did not meet that need.
2North American A foreman or manager, especially one who is a strict disciplinarian: he was ramrod for the construction of the Apollo command module
verb (ramrods, ramrodding, ramrodded) [with object] (ramrod something through) chiefly North American
Force a proposed measure to be accepted or completed quickly: they ramrodded through legislation voiding the court injunctions...
- While the vote shows that the pan-blue camp will no longer be able to ramrod its proposals through the legislature, the pan-green camp will still have to battle to get its legislative platform enacted.
- I am dismayed that once again a condo project has been ramrodded through without any democratic consultation.
- They resisted the efforts of the Berskshire Sports & Entertainment group (BS&E) formed to ramrod the stadium through.