hammerhead

hammerhead
hammerheaded, adj.
/ham"euhr hed'/, n.
1. the part of a hammer designed for striking.
2. a shark of the genus Sphyrna, esp. S. zygaena, having the head expanded laterally so as to resemble a double-headed hammer, sometimes dangerous to swimmers.
3. Also called hammerkop /ham"euhr kop'/. a brown heronlike African bird, Scopus umbretta, having the head so crested as to resemble a claw hammer.
5. Slang. blockhead; dunce; lout.
[1525-35; HAMMER + HEAD]

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bird
also called  Hamerkop, or Hammer-headed Stork 
 (Scopus umbretta), African wading bird, the sole species of the family Scopidae, within the order Ciconiiformes, which also includes herons, flamingos, and storks. The hammerhead ranges over Africa south of the Sahara and occurs on Madagascar and in southwestern Arabia. It is about 60 cm (2 feet) long, nearly uniform umber or earthy brown in colour, and bears a conspicuous horizontal crest on the back of its large head. The heavy, compressed, hook-tipped bill and short legs are black. Active especially at twilight, the bird sits beside a stream with its head down or wades slowly, stirring the mud with one foot and then the other, feeding on mollusks, frogs, small fishes, and aquatic insects. It builds an enormous nest of sticks, sometimes 1.8 m (6 feet) across and 1.2 m (4 feet) high, on a rocky ledge or in a tree. The nest is dome shaped with an entrance on the side and a narrow tunnel leading to a central chamber lined with mud. The bird lays three to six chalky-white eggs.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Hammerhead — may refer to:* The head of a hammer.In zoology: * Hammerhead sharks (genus Sphyrna ), of which there are nine known species. * Hammerkop ( Scopus umbretta ), a bird of order Ciconiiformes, may also be known as a hammerheadIn music: * Black… …   Wikipedia

  • HammerHead — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Hammerhead peut se traduire par « tête de marteau » et désigne le requin marteau en anglais. Le terme peut aussi se référer à : Sommaire 1… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Hammerhead — bei der Rheinkultur …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Hammerhead — Ham mer*head ( h[e^]d ), n. 1. (Zo[ o]l.) A shark of the genus {Sphyrna} or {Zyg[ae]na}, having the eyes set on projections from the sides of the head, which gives it a hammer shape. The {Sphyrna zyg[ae]na} is found in the North Atlantic. Called… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • hammerhead — (n.) type of shark, 1843, from HAMMER (Cf. hammer) (n.) + HEAD (Cf. head) (n.). So called for its broad, transverse head …   Etymology dictionary

  • hammerhead — ► NOUN ▪ a shark with flattened blade like extensions on either side of the head …   English terms dictionary

  • hammerhead — [ham′ər hed΄] n. 1. the head of a hammer, specif. the part with a flat surface for striking 2. any of a family (Sphyrnidae, order Carcharhiniformes) of large, tropical sharks that have a mallet shaped head with an eye near the center of each end… …   English World dictionary

  • Hammerhead — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Hammerhead peut se traduire par « tête de marteau » et désigne le requin marteau en anglais. Le terme peut aussi se référer à : Sommaire 1… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Hammerhead — Para la maniobra acrobática, véase caída del ala. Para la canción, véase Hammerhead (canción). Cabeza de Martillo Primera aparición The Amazing Spider Man #113 (Oct 1972) Creador(es) Gerry Conway John Romita, Sr …   Wikipedia Español

  • hammerhead — 1. n. a stupid person; a person whose head seems to be as solid as a hammer. □ You can be such a hammerhead! □ What a hammerhead! Totally dense! 2. n. a drunkard or a drug user. □ These hammerheads can’t even hold a simple job for the most part …   Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions

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