Definitions
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. An ancient military engine consisting of a large beam shod with metal, sometimes with a head somewhat resembling the head of a ram (whence the name), used to batter or beat down the defenses of besieged places. In its simplest form it was carried and forcibly driven against the wall by the hands of the soldiers, but more commonly it was suspended by ropes from a beam which was supported by posts, and balanced so as to swing backward and forward, being in this wayimpelled against the wall with much more ease and effect. It was also often mounted on wheels and worked under cover, the assailants being protected by a movable shed from the missiles of the besieged.
- n. A heavy blacksmiths' hammer, suspended, and worked horizontally.
- n. A child's game in which all the players except two form a circle, one of the latter being inside and the other outside. The one inside the circle endeavors to break through, the player outside assisting him. Should he succeed, that player in the circle who is responsible for his escape takes his place.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. (Mil.) An engine used in ancient times to beat down the walls of besieged places.
- n. A blacksmith's hammer, suspended, and worked horizontally.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a ram used to break down doors of fortified buildings
Examples
“But Friday the Fukushima complex was hit by a double whammy: violent shaking from the historic magnitude-8.9 earthquake, and then the battering-ram tsunami that crashed ashore.”
The Washington Post: Nuclear power industry watches warily as Japan's aging reactor is hit hard
“Ten yards, not five, were required for a first down, discouraging "battering-ram line plunges" that caused injuries.”
“They are using it as a battering-ram to destroy the Democratic opposition by making it impossible for the majority to govern unless that majority agrees to act as a proxy for the right wing.”
Matthew Yglesias » Longstanding Problems Are Still Problematic
“Last season, the Cardinal's identity was as a punishing running team that could run the ball against defenses stacked to stop the run because it had the battering-ram of a tailback in Gerhart.”
“Suddenly, senators lost their power to veto nominees, and battering-ram tactics like the “Ginsburg Rule” and the “Nuclear Option” entered the political lexicon.”
Wonk Room » Leahy Calls For Action On Stalled Legal Nominees
“Later she jams them altogether to make a battering-ram against her husband's complacent betrayal.”
The Guardian: The Late Middle Classes; The Crucible; Ingredient X
“I suppose it would be about a hundred paces square, but I can't be sure from memory, with adobe walls twenty feet high and stout enough to resist a battering-ram.”
“The mist cleared further, and the gate gave in under the blows of an improvised battering-ram, covered by showers of arrows from short range.”
“If I could pull down one of the shelves, perhaps I could use it or a plank from it as a battering-ram, I thought.”
““There,” Sarge said, giving me a quick one in the ribs with an elbow like a battering-ram.”
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