Meaning
A heavy iron block used in the blacksmithing trade as a surface upon which metal can be struck and shaped.
Etymology
Origin: Old English
From Middle English anfilt, anvelt, anfelt, from late Old English anfilt, anfilte, anfealt, from earlier onfilti (“anvil”), from Proto-West Germanic *anafalt (compare Middle Dutch anvilte, Low German Anfilts, Anefilt, Old High German anafalz), compound of *ana (“on”) + *falt (“beaten”) (compare German falzen (“to groove, fold, welt”), Swedish dialectal filta (“to beat”)), from Proto-Indo-European *pelh₂-t- (“shaken, beaten”) (compare Middle Irish lethar (“leather”), Latin pellō (“to beat, strike”), Ancient Greek πάλλω (pállō, “to toss, brandish”)), enlargement of Proto-Indo-European *pelh₂- (“to stir, move”). More at felon.
Synonyms & Antonyms
NYT Puzzle Appearances
Accepted in 13 recorded puzzles:
- 2026-07-19VAGILNT
- 2025-11-10AIPNLOV
- 2025-08-27LAVIDNY
- 2024-09-26ADVUNLI
- 2024-09-14AENJILV
- 2024-08-03VOANICL
- 2024-06-15IAOLVND
- 2024-05-16LATIGNV
- 2024-04-13NAPLIOV
- 2024-01-17AYDVLIN
- 2023-12-12NVALIBE
- 2023-06-25AYEVLIN
+1 earlier appearances in the archive.