hammer and sickle

/ˈhæ.mə.rən(d)ˌsɪ.kəl/Canada, US/ˈhæm.ɚ‿n̩‿sɪkl̩/

noun

A depiction of a sickle crossed with a hammer, used as a symbol of communism and the Soviet Union.

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Meanings

nounhammer and sickle (plural hammers and sickles)

plural hammers and sickles

  1. A depiction of a sickle crossed with a hammer, used as a symbol of communism and the Soviet Union.

    He remembers the [train] journeys fondly—the vast expanses of the Soviet empire rolling by, the glasses of tea served in metal cup holders embossed with the hammer and sickle.

    2022 December 7, Simon Shuster, “2022 Person of the Year: Volodymyr Zelensky”, in Time, archived from the original on 28 Feb 2025
  2. metonymicallySocialism or communism itself.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
sickle and hammer

Origin

The symbol was developed by Yevgeny Kamzolkin in 1917, based on antetypes like hammer and pick (symbol of mining). The hammer represents workers, while the sickle represents farmers.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic اَلْمِطْرَقَة وَالْمِنْجَل
  • اَلْمِطْرَقَة وَالْمِنْجَل (al-miṭraqa wa-l-minjal)symbol of communism
Basque igitaia eta mailua
  • igitaia eta mailuasymbol of communism
Bulgarian сърп и чук
  • сърп и чук (sărp i čuk)symbol of communism
Catalan falç i martell
  • falç i martellsymbol of communism
Chinese Mandarin 錘子與鐮刀 /锤子与镰刀
  • 錘子與鐮刀 /锤子与镰刀 (chuízi yǔ liándāo)symbol of communism
Czech srp a kladivo
  • srp a kladivosymbol of communism
Danish hammer og segl
  • hammer og seglsymbol of communism
Dutch hamer en sikkel
  • hamer en sikkelsymbol of communism
Esperanto rikoltilo kaj martelo
  • rikoltilo kaj martelosymbol of communism
Estonian sirp ja vasar
  • sirp ja vasarsymbol of communism
Finnish sirppi ja vasara
  • sirppi ja vasarasymbol of communism
French la faucille et le marteau, faucille et marteau
  • la faucille et le marteausymbol of communism
  • faucille et marteausymbol of communism
  • faumarsymbol of communism
German Hammer und Sichel
  • Hammer und Sichelsymbol of communism
Greek σφυροδρέπανο
  • σφυροδρέπανο (sfyrodrépano)symbol of communism
Hebrew פטיש ומגל
  • פטיש ומגל (patísh ve-magal)symbol of communism
Hindi हथौड़ा और हँसिया
  • हथौड़ा और हँसिया (hathauṛā aur hãsiyā)symbol of communism
Hungarian sarló és kalapács, sarló-kalapács
  • sarló és kalapácssymbol of communism
  • sarló-kalapácssymbol of communism
Icelandic hamar og sigð
  • hamar og sigðsymbol of communism
Indonesian palu arit
  • palu aritsymbol of communism
Irish casúr agus corrán
  • casúr agus corránsymbol of communism
Italian falce e martello
  • falce e martellosymbol of communism
Japanese 鎌と槌, 鎌とハンマー
  • 鎌と槌 (kama to tsuchi)symbol of communism
  • 鎌とハンマー (kama to hanmā)symbol of communism
Korean 낫과 망치
  • 낫과 망치 (natgwa mangchi)symbol of communism
Latvian sirpis un āmurs
  • sirpis un āmurssymbol of communism
Lithuanian kūjis ir pjautuvas
  • kūjis ir pjautuvassymbol of communism
Malay tukul dan sabit
  • tukul dan sabitsymbol of communism
Norwegian Bokmål hammer och sigd
  • hammer och sigdsymbol of communism
Polish sierp i młot
  • sierp i młotsymbol of communism
Portuguese foice e martelo
  • foice e martelosymbol of communism
Romanian secera și ciocanul, сечера ши чиоканул
  • secera și ciocanulsymbol of communism
  • сечера ши чиоканул (secera și ciocanul)symbol of communism
Russian серп и мо́лот
  • серп и мо́лот (serp i mólot)symbol of communism
Slovak kosak a kladivo
  • kosak a kladivosymbol of communism
Spanish hoz y martillo
  • hoz y martillosymbol of communism
Swahili nyundo na mundu
  • nyundo na mundusymbol of communism
Swedish hammaren och skäran
  • hammaren och skäransymbol of communism
Thai ค้อนเคียว
  • ค้อนเคียว (kɔ́ɔn-kiao)symbol of communism
Turkish orak-çekiç, orak ve çekiç
  • orak-çekiçsymbol of communism
  • orak ve çekiçsymbol of communism
Ukrainian серп і мо́лот
  • серп і мо́лот (serp i mólot)symbol of communism
Vietnamese búa và liềm
  • búa và liềmsymbol of communism
Welsh morthwyl a chryman
  • morthwyl a chrymansymbol of communism
Cite this entry
APA

hammer and sickle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hammer%20and%20sickle

MLA

“hammer and sickle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hammer%20and%20sickle. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hammer and sickle,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hammer%20and%20sickle.

Source: hammer and sickle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.