n.a device operated by compressed air and used to
rip up concrete,
break rock, etc. (
Pneumatic comes from the Greek
word pneuma meaning
wind or air and a drill is a cutting tool for making holes in something such as wood, metal or
rock.) The drill, powered through the
use of compressed air, delivers a large number of
blows, in rapid succession, to the specific material it is applied to. This rapid-
fire, back- and-forth
motion drives the drill down into the material and begins breaking it up. Prolonged
use is considered
dangerous and potentially causes
death to the operator (usually men) and is thus often referred to as a "widow-maker."