spanner

Meaning

Noun

1. (Commonwealth, Ireland, UK) A hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts.
2. (Canada, Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, US) A hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts.
3. (rare) One who, or that which, spans.
4. A (usually sparse) graph whose shortest path distances approximate those in a dense graph or other metric space.
5. A hand tool shaped like a small crank handle, for winding the spring of a wheel lock on a musket.
6. (obsolete) A device in early steam engines for moving the valves for the alternate admission and shutting off of the steam.
7. (Ireland, UK) A problem, dilemma or obstacle; something unexpected or troublesome (in the phrase spanner in the works)
8. (Ireland, UK, derogatory, mildly) A stupid or unintelligent person; one prone to making mistakes, especially in language.

Verb

To use a spanner; to fix with a spanner

Synonyms

wrench

🔧

adjustable wrench

screw wrench

key word

monkey wrench

monkey-wrench

tool

winder

crescent wrench

open-end wrench

tappet wrench

span piece

spanner wrench

adjustable spanner

horizontal cross brace

clef

key

🔑

Translations

Schraubenschlüssel

clef

schroefsleutel

chiave

🔑

llave

🔑

moersleutel

chave

🔑

clé

🔑

Schlüssel

🔑

llave inglesa

sleutel

🔑

clau anglesa

🔧

chave inglesa

γαλλικό κλειδί

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈspæn.ə(ɹ)/

Etymology

From span + -er.