mattock: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Technical, Historical, Literary
Quick answer
What does “mattock” mean?
A hand tool similar to a pickaxe but with a broad adze-like blade (for cutting) and a pointed pick end (for breaking ground), used for digging and chopping roots.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A hand tool similar to a pickaxe but with a broad adze-like blade (for cutting) and a pointed pick end (for breaking ground), used for digging and chopping roots.
Any similar agricultural or mining tool with a head fixed at right angles to the handle for chopping or digging. In historical/archaeological contexts, it can refer to ancient digging implements.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or design. The word is equally rare in both varieties.
Connotations
Evokes manual labour, pre-industrial farming, or archaeological excavation in both regions.
Frequency
Very low frequency in both BrE and AmE. More likely encountered in historical novels, gardening manuals, or archaeological reports than in everyday speech.
Grammar
How to Use “mattock” in a Sentence
[Subject] + wield + [mattock][Subject] + dig/hoe + [with a mattock][Subject] + break up + [ground] + [with a mattock]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “mattock” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The archaeologist carefully mattocked through the compacted soil layer.
American English
- We'll need to mattock out these stubborn roots before we can lay the sod.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used in archaeology, agricultural history, and anthropology to describe tools.
Everyday
Extremely rare. Might be used by serious gardeners or in rural areas.
Technical
Standard term in archaeology reports, gardening/horticulture texts, and tool catalogues.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “mattock”
- Confusing it with a 'pickaxe' (which has two pointed ends) or a 'hoe' (which is lighter and used for weeding). Spelling mistake: 'matock'. Incorrect verb usage: 'He mattocked the field' is highly marked and rare; 'He used a mattock on the field' is preferred.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
A mattock typically has a broad adze (chopping/cutting blade) on one side and a pick or axe on the other. A pickaxe usually has two pointed ends (a pick and a chisel end) and is designed for breaking rock, not chopping.
No, it is a low-frequency, specialised term. You will mostly encounter it in historical contexts, gardening, or archaeology.
Yes, but it is rare and highly technical. It means to use a mattock on something (e.g., 'to mattock the soil'). The noun form is far more common.
It comes from Old English 'mattuc', of unknown earlier origin. It is a very old English word for a digging tool.
A hand tool similar to a pickaxe but with a broad adze-like blade (for cutting) and a pointed pick end (for breaking ground), used for digging and chopping roots.
Mattock is usually technical, historical, literary in register.
Mattock: in British English it is pronounced /ˈmætək/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈmætək/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To put one's mattock to the root (archaic: to tackle a problem at its source).”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a MAT (for padding) and a LOCK. You need to break the lock on a gate, so you use a heavy tool (MATtock) with a broad blade to hack at it.
Conceptual Metaphor
A MATTOCK IS A PRIMITIVE EXTENSION OF THE ARM/HAND (for breaking and cutting).
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary function of a mattock?