Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun An appliance for loosening frozen logs by horse-power, consisting of a strong, heavy timber and a chain terminating in a heavy swamp-hook. The timber is placed upright beside the log to be loosened, the chain fastened around it, and the hook inserted low down on the opposite side of the log. Leverage is then applied by a team hitched to the upper end of the upright timber.
  • noun A form of brace or stay, used in long and otherwise flexible machines to secure strength and rigidity under the stress of operation at high speed. Particularly used in such textile-machinery as roving-frames.
  • In lumbering, to direct the fall of (a tree) by means of a lever and pole.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun An Israelite of Bible record (see Judges xiii.), distinguished for his great strength; hence, a man of extraordinary physical strength.
  • noun (Naut.) In deep-well boring, the post which supports the walking beam of the apparatus.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • proper noun biblical An Israelite judge in the Old Testament who performed feats of strength against the Philistines but was betrayed by Delilah his mistress.
  • proper noun by extension Any very strong man.
  • proper noun A male given name.
  • proper noun An English surname derived from the given name.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun (Old Testament) a judge of Israel who performed herculean feats of strength against the Philistines until he was betrayed to them by his mistress Delilah
  • noun a large and strong and heavyset man

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Hebrew שִׁמְשׁוֹן "of the sun". Small Sun or from Shemesh-On literally, Force of the Sun. Akin to Nachshon Nachash = Snake or made of copper (Nechoshet) (is this where "copper head" comes from?) the addition of on may be a diminutive form. On (force or fortitude) may be an empowering addition.

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