Definition

Noun: A small, lightweight hammer specifically designed for driving tacks (small, short nails with large, flat heads). It typically has a narrow, often magnetic, head on one side for starting tacks and a forked claw or a flat surface on the other side for removing them.

Usage

The term "tack hammer" is used to refer to the specific tool itself. It is a compound noun where "tack" specifies the type of hammer. * Use it when identifying or asking for this specific tool: "Do you have a tack hammer for this upholstery project?" * Use it to describe an action performed with the tool: "She carefully tapped the fabric into place with a tack hammer."

Examples

• "For the delicate work of re-covering the chair seat, a tack hammer is more suitable than a standard claw hammer."
• "The magnetic head of the tack hammer held the brass tack securely as he positioned it."
• "A good tack hammer is an essential tool in an upholsterer's kit."

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used metaphorically to suggest a light, precise, or repetitive action, though this is uncommon.
  • The drummer's sticks moved like a tack hammer, driving the rhythm with sharp, rapid strokes.

Variants and Related Words

• Upholstery hammer: A synonym often used interchangeably with "tack hammer," emphasizing its primary craft use.
• Hammer (noun): The general category of tools for driving nails.
• Tack (noun): The small nail driven by this hammer.
• Drive (verb): The action performed (e.g., to drive a tack).

Synonyms

• Upholstery hammer

Antonyms

• Sledgehammer
• Maul

Related Phrases

• To hammer in tacks: The action performed with the tool.
  • He skillfully hammered in the tacks along the edge. (Note: "Tack hammer" itself is not typically used in phrasal verb constructions.)

Related Idioms

• A tack hammer approach: An informal, non-standard phrase that could describe a strategy involving many small, precise actions rather than one large effort.
  • Instead of a major overhaul, they took a tack hammer approach, making numerous minor improvements over time.

Noun

1. a light hammer that is used to drive tacks