spanner
English edit
Etymology edit
Pronunciation edit
- (UK) enPR: spăn'ə(r), IPA(key): /ˈspæn.ə(ɹ)/
- (US) enPR: spăn'ər, IPA(key): /ˈspæn.ɚ/
Audio (US) (file) Audio (AU) (file) - Rhymes: -ænə(ɹ)
Noun edit
spanner (plural spanners)
- (Australia, New Zealand, British, Ireland) A hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts; a wrench.
- Pass me that spanner, Jake; there's just one more nut to screw in.
- (rare) One who, or that which, spans.
- 1915, Florence Kiper Frank, The Jew to Jesus: and other poems:
- The scheme of the spanner of continents and the desire of the little husbandman hoarding for his loved ones...
- (weaponry) A hand tool shaped like a small crank handle, for winding the spring of a wheel lock on a musket.
- 1786, Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, Fig. 10., page xvi:
- The spanner for spanning or winding up the spring of the wheel lock.
- (obsolete) A device in early steam engines for moving the valves for the alternate admission and shutting off of the steam.
- (UK) A problem, dilemma or obstacle; something unexpected or troublesome (in the phrase spanner in the works)
- Halfway through the production of Macbeth, the director found that the stage was smaller than he expected. This really threw a spanner in the works.
- (British, Ireland, mildly derogatory) A stupid or unintelligent person; one prone to making mistakes, especially in language.
Synonyms edit
- (hand tool for nuts and bolts): wrench (US)
Derived terms edit
Descendants edit
Translations edit
hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts
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something unexpected or troublesome
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Verb edit
spanner (third-person singular simple present spanners, present participle spannering, simple past and past participle spannered)
- To use a spanner; to fix with a spanner