Mattock
/ˈmæt.ək/noun
A digging tool with a broad adze-like blade and a pointed end, used for breaking up hard ground.
Did you know?Mattock comes from a very old Germanic word for a chopping tool, and its history shows how everyday labor words often began as blunt, physical action names rather than polished technical terms.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*matukô / *matukaz
“a chopping or striking tool”
Old English
OE
mattuc
“a pick, hoe, or digging tool”
Middle English
ME
matok / mattok
“a digging or chopping tool”
Modern English
English
mattock
“a tool for digging, chopping, and breaking hard ground”