From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishanvilan‧vil /ˈænvəl/ noun [countable] TICa heavy iron block on which pieces of hot metal are shaped using a hammer
Examples from the Corpus
anvil• Perched on the bench was the tiny instrument known as a diamond anvil.• Like the cannon, the diamond anvil is used to mimic the extreme conditions inside the earth.• The fine steel blade is non-stick coated giving a precise anvil action.• Where flint waste is found there are usually hammer stones and perhaps a stone anvil.• High-pressure researchers are now using the anvil and the cannon to search for signs of these internal changes.• They caught the sparks that showered from my own tiny anvil and I failed to think it odd.• He had an unshaven anvil chin, glittering eyes and a blonde-haired schoolteacher whose name was Maya.Origin anvil Old English anfilt 