Definition

1. Noun:
   • A digging tool with a flat blade: A mattock is a hand tool used for digging and chopping. It has a flat, broad blade set at a right angle (90 degrees) to its handle, similar to an adze or hoe. It is distinct from a pickaxe, which typically has pointed ends.

Usage

• The mattock is used for breaking up hard soil, cutting roots, and digging trenches.
• It is a common tool in gardening, farming, archaeology, and construction.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The archaeologist used a mattock to carefully loosen the compacted soil around the artifact.
  • For clearing the overgrown garden, a mattock is more effective than a shovel for breaking through the tough roots.

Advanced Usage

• "To wield/swing a mattock": This phrase describes the physical action of using the tool.
  • After wielding the mattock for an hour, his hands were sore.

Variants and Related Words

• Pickaxe (or pickax): A similar tool with a pointed end for breaking rock, often contrasted with the flat blade of a mattock.
• Grub hoe: A type of hoe with a heavy, narrow blade, sometimes used similarly to a mattock for digging.

Synonyms

• Digging tool
• Grubber (informal, for a tool used to grub out roots)

Notes

• The mattock is a specific type of tool. The key distinguishing feature is its flat blade set perpendicular to the handle. It is not a general term for all picks or hoes.

Noun

1. a kind of pick that is used for digging; has a flat blade set at right angles to the handle