Standard Lemma guide

ramrod

noun · verb · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈɹæmɹɒd/
  • General-American: /ˈɹæmɹɑd/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: R AE1 M R AA2 D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Device used with muzzleloaders to push the projectile up against the propellant.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: engineering, firearms, government, military, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, politics, tools, war, weaponry

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: gunstick

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Ranch or trail foreman, usually the first or second person in charge. The person responsible for getting the work done.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An erect penis.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: slang

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To force; to coerce.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • That new project manager is just the one to ramrod this through to completion.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To force to remain upright.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly

Qualifier: usually passive voice

Examples

  • He bristled and sat there, motionless, as if ramrodded.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

a rod used to ram the charge into a muzzle-loading firearm

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: rod

7

noun

Meaning 7

a rod used to clean the barrel of a firearm

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: rod

8

noun

Meaning 8

a harshly demanding overseer

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: overseer, superintendent

History

Etymology

From ram + rod.

Across languages

Translations

41 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Southern Altai: сӱме (süme) — device used with early firearms
  • Arabic: مِدَكّ (midakk) — device used with early firearms
  • Belarusian: шо́мпал (šómpal) — device used with early firearms
  • Bulgarian: шо́мпол (šómpol) — device used with early firearms
  • Catalan: baqueta — device used with early firearms
  • Catalan: atacador — device used with early firearms
  • Catalan: burxa — device used with early firearms
  • Chinese Mandarin: 搠杖 (shuòzhàng) — device used with early firearms
  • Danish: ladestok — device used with early firearms
  • Dutch: laadstok — device used with early firearms
  • Dutch: stamper — device used with early firearms
  • Finnish: latauspuikko — device used with early firearms
  • French: baguette — device used with early firearms
  • German: Ladestock — device used with early firearms
  • German: Ladstecke — device used with early firearms
  • German: Ladstecken — device used with early firearms
  • German: Ladstab — device used with early firearms
  • Greenlandic: immiit — device used with early firearms
  • Hebrew: מַתְחֵב (matkhév) — device used with early firearms
  • Hebrew: מָדוֹךְ (madókh) — device used with early firearms
  • Indonesian: pelantak — device used with early firearms
  • Ingrian: rasseli — device used with early firearms
  • Italian: bacchetta — device used with early firearms
  • Kazakh: сүмбі (sümbı) — device used with early firearms
  • Korean: 꽂을대 (kkojeuldae) — device used with early firearms
  • Lithuanian: grūstuvas — device used with early firearms
  • Malay: pelantak — device used with early firearms
  • Malay: ramrud — device used with early firearms
  • Polish: stempel — device used with early firearms
  • Polish: sztępel — device used with early firearms
  • Russian: шо́мпол (šómpol) — device used with early firearms
  • Spanish: baqueta — device used with early firearms
  • Swedish: laddstake — device used with early firearms
  • Swedish: laddstock — device used with early firearms
  • Ternate: farfuji — device used with early firearms
  • Turkish: harbi — device used with early firearms
  • Ottoman Turkish: تفنك چبوغی (tüfenk çubuğı) — device used with early firearms
  • Ukrainian: шо́мпол (šómpol) — device used with early firearms
  • Welsh: ffon wthio — device used with early firearms
  • Finnish: painaa — to force
  • Finnish: puskea — to force