1 (strike) (with fists) [+door, table] aporrear; golpear he pounded the table with his fist aporreó or golpeó la mesa con el puño
to pound sb with one's fists
to pound one's fists against sth golpear algo con los puños; to pound sth to pieces (with one's fists) destrozar algo (a puñetazos or con los puños)
workmen were pounding the pavement to pieces the hooves pounded his flesh to jelly
(with hammer) martillear; (with other instrument) golpear the judge pounded his desk with his wooden hammer
he pounded the stake into the ground with a rock clavó la estaca en la tierra golpeándola con una piedra; to pound sth to pieces (with a hammer) destrozar algo (a martillazos)
he used a wooden mallet to pound the tent stake into the ground to pound sth/sb into a [pulp]
they pounded him into a pulp with their sticks lo molieron a palos
[+sea, waves] azotar; batir contra the waves pounded the boat to pieces las olas batieron contra el bote hasta destrozarlo
the waves were pounding the shore heavy seas are continuing to pound the coastline the ship was pounded by huge waves
(Mil) allied warplanes continued to pound enemy troops
day after day long-range artillery pounded the city día tras día fuego de artillería de largo alcance cayó sobre la ciudad causando estragos
as they talked the bombs continued to pound the centre of the town Vukovar was pounded by artillery fire Yugoslav artillery batteries have continued their heavy bombardment, pounding a number of towns in Bosnia as allied bombers continued pounding targets in and around Baghdad
the bombs pounded the city to rubble las bombas redujeron la ciudad a escombros
Artillery and mortars are the weapons of choice on this battlefield, pounding towns into rubble
2 (Cookery) [+herbs, spices] machacar; [+garlic, mixture] machacar; majar; [+meat] golpear; [+dough] trabajar in a mortar, pound together the garlic cloves with the basil pound herbs, salt, shallot and chilli in a mortar /pound the mixture to a paste/ with the cumin and the saffron she paused as she pounded the maize grains wooden mallets were used to pound the meat he was pounding the dough vigorously pound the garlic and oil (down) [to] a paste
3 (thump) [+piano, typewriter] aporrear I know he used to pound the piano as hard as he could just to hear the sound he was pounding the typewriter all evening
to pound the beat rondar las calles (como policía) he's been pounding the beat for 20 years if you don't do as you're told you could end up pounding the beat in Chiswick High Street after 30 years pounding the beat he finally retired he is expected to pound the beat and do what he is told these two years in which he is expected to pound the beat, explore human nature and do what he is told
to pound the pavement(s) (US) patear las calles (informal) I had to pound the pavements of New York trying to make it in the big time you see people pounding the pavements downtown because that is where the homeless and the destitute congregate
