nounmasculinepl: martelos
hammer
1. a tool with a heavy metal head mounted at right angles at the end of a handle, used for driving nails
He used a hammer to drive the nail into the wall.
Ele usou um martelo para pregar o prego na parede.
2. in anatomy, one of the three small bones in the middle ear
The hammer bone transmits vibrations to the anvil.
O martelo transmite vibrações para a bigorna.
3. in athletics, a metal ball attached to a steel wire, thrown in track and field
The athlete threw the hammer across the field.
O atleta lançou o martelo no campo.
4. colloquially, a difficult or problematic situation
That exam was a real hammer.
Aquele exame foi um verdadeiro martelo.
In Brazilian Portuguese, 'martelo' is commonly used both literally for the construction tool and figuratively in informal speech to describe something difficult or problematic. The word appears frequently in construction contexts, which is significant in Brazilian culture given the importance of informal building and repair work. In capoeira and other martial contexts, 'martelo' refers to a powerful spinning kick.
NYC Slang
sledge, hammer (as in 'that's a hammer' meaning something difficult)
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