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center punch
noun
: a hand punch consisting of a short steel bar with a hardened conical point at one end used for marking the centers of holes to be drilled
Examples of center punch in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
My first solution was get a thin piece of brass and make a dent in it with a center punch.
—IEEE Spectrum, 27 Aug. 2023
Start each hole with a center punch, and bore the 1-inch intake holes with a step bit [8].
—Joe Kohl-Riggs, Popular Mechanics, 27 July 2023
Use a center punch and a hammer to mark the location of the hole and to give the drill bit a place to start without wandering.
—Bradley Ford, Popular Mechanics, 30 Sep. 2021
The Penguins’ 1-2 center punch, until the big dogs return, might be Jake Guentzel and Jeff Carter.
—BostonGlobe.com, 11 Sep. 2021
Prevent the drill bit from wandering by first marking the center of each part with a center punch.
—David Agrell, Popular Mechanics, 12 Dec. 2020
Oryx center punched with a triad of .300 Winchester Magnum loads loped into the sands of the Kalahari, never to be seen again.
—Ron Spomer, Outdoor Life, 13 Jan. 2020
Buy a center punch and strike it with a ball-peen hammer.
—Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 5 Feb. 2014
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Word History
First Known Use
1825, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near center punch
Cite this Entry
“Center punch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/center%20punch. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.
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