marteau

Back-formation from Old French marteaus, plural of martel, from Late Latin martellus, from martulus, variant form of marculus, diminutive of Latin marcus, or from malleus.

• IPA^(key): /maʁ.to/

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marteau m (plural marteaux)

1. A hammer used for pounding.
2. A machine tool working by pounding.
3. A hammer-shaped tool used to hit thing, such as a gavel.
4. A rapper; a door knocker.
5. (music) A piano or dulcimer hammer.
6. (anatomy) The malleus.
7. (athletics) A throwing hammer.
8. (technical) A hammer with bas relief marks used to imprint on wood, leather etc.
9. (curling) Advantage of throwing the last stone.
10. (clockmaking) A piece that strikes the bell in a clock.

marteau (plural marteaux)

1. (dated, informal) crazy; deranged

• “marteau” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

• amateur