# battering ram

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A heavy object used for battering down walls and gates or a siege engine that includes such an object.
2. A modern device, usually in the form of a metal bar with handles, chiefly used by police and firefighters to force open locked doors.
3. Something which acts as a powerful tool against something.

## Etymology
The heads of some battering rams were carved in the shape of a ram, an animal renowned for butting with its head.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/battering-ram