Meanings
mattock1
plural mattocks
- An agricultural tool whose blades are at right angles to the body, similar to a pickaxe.
Workmen, breaking up an old floor, have come to him, mattocks in their hands, dismayed: ‘Mr Richard, see what we have turned up ...’
2020, Hilary Mantel, The Mirror and the Light, Fourth Estate, page 695
present singular third person mattocks · participle present mattocking · participle past mattocked · past mattocked
Mattock2
- A surname.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*met-“to cut, reap”
- Proto-West Germanic*mattjuk“mattock, ploughshare”
- Old Englishmattuc
- Middle Englishmattok“mattock, pickaxe”
- Englishmattock
From Middle English mattok (“mattock, pickaxe”), from Old English mattuc, meottoc, mettoc (“mattock, fork, trident”), from Proto-West Germanic *mattjuk (“mattock, ploughshare”), from Proto-Indo-European *met- (“to cut, reap”). Related to Old High German medela (“plough”), Middle High German metze, metz (“knife”), Latin mateola (“implement for digging in the soil”), Polish motyka (“hoe, mattock”), Russian моты́га (motýga, “hoe, mattock”), Lithuanian matikkas (“mattock”), Sanskrit मत्य (matyà, “harrow, roller, club”). More at mason.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek σμινύη, δίκελλα
- σμινύη (sminúē)agricultural tool
- δίκελλα (díkella)agricultural tool
- μάκελλα (mákella)agricultural tool
Arabic مِعْوَل
- مِعْوَل (miʕwal)agricultural tool
Bulgarian мотика
- мотика (motika)agricultural tool
Catalan aixadella
- aixadellaagricultural tool
Chinese Mandarin 鶴嘴鋤 /鹤嘴锄
- 鶴嘴鋤 /鹤嘴锄 (háozuǐchú, hèzuǐchú)agricultural tool
Czech motyka
- motykaagricultural tool
Dutch hak
- hakagricultural tool
Esperanto pikfosilo
- pikfosiloagricultural tool
Finnish kuokka, kaksiteräinen kuokka
- kuokkaagricultural tool
- kaksiteräinen kuokkaagricultural tool
- kaksipäinen kuokkaagricultural tool
French pioche-hache
- pioche-hacheagricultural tool
German Mattock, Hacke
- Mattockagricultural tool
- Hackeagricultural tool
- Breithackeagricultural tool
- Rodehackeagricultural tool
- Karstagricultural tool
- Queraxtagricultural tool
- Dechselagricultural tool
- Dexelagricultural tool
- Deichselagricultural tool
- Haueagricultural tool
- Krummaxtagricultural tool
Greek αξίνα
- αξίνα (axína)agricultural tool
Hungarian csákány
- csákányagricultural tool
Irish matóg, láí
- matógagricultural tool
- láíagricultural tool
Italian piccone
- picconeagricultural tool
Japanese マトック
- マトック (matokku)agricultural tool
Latin ligō
- ligōagricultural tool
Latvian kaplis
- kaplisagricultural tool
Māori mātiki
- mātikiagricultural tool
Norwegian Bokmål hakke
- hakkeagricultural tool
Persian میتین
- میتین (mitin)agricultural tool
Polish motyka, oskard
- motykaagricultural tool
- oskardagricultural tool
Portuguese sacho
- sachoagricultural tool
Romanian târnăcop, sapă
- târnăcopagricultural tool
- sapăagricultural tool
Russian моты́га, киркомоты́га
- моты́га (motýga)agricultural tool
- киркомоты́га (kirkomotýga)agricultural tool
Slovak motyka
- motykaagricultural tool
Spanish zapapico, azadón
- zapapicoagricultural tool
- azadónagricultural tool
- azadaagricultural tool
- zapaagricultural tool
Turkish gedmen
- gedmenagricultural tool
Ukrainian біґа
- біґа (biga)agricultural tool
Welsh caib
- caibagricultural tool
Cite this entry
mattock. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mattock
“mattock.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mattock. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mattock,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mattock.
Source: mattock on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.