'Water hammer' definitions:

Definition of 'water hammer'

(from WordNet)
noun
The banging sound of steam in pipes

Definition of 'Water hammer'

From: GCIDE
  • Water hammer \Wa"ter ham"mer\ (Physics)
  • 1. A vessel partly filled with water, exhausted of air, and hermetically sealed. When reversed or shaken, the water being unimpeded by air, strikes the sides in solid mass with a sound like that of a hammer. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. A concussion, or blow, made by water in striking, as against the sides of a pipe or vessel containing it. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. A metal hammer used when heated, as by dipping in hot water, to blister the skin, as for counterritation. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]