# peen

Pronunciation: say "PEEN" /piːn/

## Noun

1. The end of a hammer's head opposite the main striking face, often rounded or spherical.
   - Simple: The rounded end of a hammer's head, opposite the flat part used for hitting.
   - _The hammer's rounded peen flattened the rivet head neatly._
   - _She finished the seam by smoothing the metal with the peen._
3. A slang word for the penis. *(slang)*
   - Simple: A casual, joking word for the penis.
   - _He took a soccer ball straight to the peen and doubled over._
   - _The drunk guy flashed his peen at the crowd and got thrown out._

## Verb

2. To shape metal by striking it repeatedly, especially with the rounded end of a hammer.
   - Simple: To shape or harden metal by hitting it many times, usually with a hammer.
   - _He peened the soft copper until its surface was smooth and even._
   - _Workers peen the metal rim to strengthen it against wear._

## Origin

**Meanings 1–2** — Probably from a North Germanic source, compare dialectal Norwegian penn ("peen"), Danish pind ("peg"), German Pinne ("the peen of a hammer"), and Old Swedish pæna ("to pound iron with a hammer").
**Meaning 3** — A clipping of penis, with the spelling changed to maintain the original pronunciation.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/peen (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).