Mjolnir Definition & Meaning

Definition

Usage

Etymology

Examples

Mjolnir American [myawl-nir] / ˈmyɔl nɪr /

noun

Scandinavian Mythology.

1. the hammer of Thor, used as a weapon against the Jotuns, heard as thunder by humans.

Usage

What does Mjolnir mean? Mjolnir is the hammer wielded by Thor, the Norse god of thunder, rain, and farming.Mjolnir is Thor’s iconic weapon and he rarely is seen without it in modern depictions. Although its exact appearance changes, it is always depicted as being small enough to be used in one hand.According to mythology, Mjolnir was forged by dwarves and had a number of magical abilities. In Norse mythology, Thor used Mjolnir to defend Asgard (the home of the gods) from evil giants, known as Jotun. It was said Mjolnir would return to Thor like a boomerang if thrown.According to myth, Thor also used Mjolnir as a weapon. He also used it to give his blessing to mortals, and Mjolnir was said to have holy powers that could shield people from harm.Example: Mighty Thor smashed the giants to pieces using Mjolnir.

Etymology

Origin of Mjolnir

From Old Norse Mjǫllnir, akin to Old Church Slavonic mlĭniji, Russian mólniya, Old Prussian mealde “lightning,” Latvian milna “hammer of the thunder god”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Specifically, Miss Foster, now dying of cancer, has found kinship with Thor’s broken Mjolnir hammer now reassembled from its former shattered state and granting her the same powers as the God of Thunder.

From Washington Times

“Thor: Love and Thunder” brings back director Taika Waititi — who previously helmed the acclaimed “Thor: Ragnarok” — for a post-“Avengers: Endgame” adventure that includes the Guardians of the Galaxy, Greek gods, and the return of Natalie Portman as Thor’s ex-girlfriend Jane, who finally gets the chance to wield the hammer Mjolnir.

From Los Angeles Times

This feeds into another gag: Thor's inability to let go of Mjolnir, which makes his new weapon Stormbreaker a tad envious.

From Salon

Since Thor's hammer Mjolnir called her in her darkest hour, she decided to take the god's weapon into her own hands and have the adventures she denied herself by giving the time she has left over to scientific research.

From Salon

The pieces reassemble into a whole, but now Mjolnir is being wielded by a new figure whose costume looks a lot like Thor’s.

From New York Times

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