tool

Meaning

Noun

1. Any physical device meant to ease or do a task.
2. Any physical device meant to ease or do a task.
3. Anything that aids someone to perform an operation; an instrument; a means.
4. A piece of software used to develop software or hardware, or to perform low-level operations.
5. A person or group which is used or controlled, usually unwittingly, by another person or group, a pawn.
6. A particular skill pertaining to baseball (such as hitting, running, etc.).
7. (informal, vulgar) A penis, notably with a sexual or erotic connotation.
8. (broadly, derogatory, slang, vulgar) An obnoxious or uptight person.
9. (Canada, Multicultural-London-English, US, slang) A handgun.

Verb

1. (transitive) To work on or shape with tools, e.g., hand-tooled leather.
2. (transitive) To equip with tools.
3. (intransitive) To work very hard.
4. (slang, transitive) To put down another person (possibly in a subtle, hidden way), and in that way to use him or her to meet a goal.
5. (transitive) To intentionally attack the ball so that it deflects off a blocker out of bounds.
6. (UK, dated, slang, transitive) To drive (a coach or other vehicle).
7. (UK, dated, slang, transitive) To carry or convey in a coach or other vehicle.
8. (intransitive, slang) To travel in a vehicle; to ride or drive.

Synonyms

instrument

implement

utensil

equipment

device

means

appliance

dolt

moron

stupid

gadget

fool

idiot

apparatus

medium

machine

dick

prick

cock

pecker

chase

peter

puppet

tool around

agent

musical instrument

shaft

gear

⚙️

joyride

putz

dismiss

disavow

disapprove

disallow

chase away

disagree

piece of equipment

aid

decline

penis

phallus

arm

equipage

creature

motor

expel

engine

emboss

method

condemn

Translations

outil

Werkzeug

herramienta

ferramenta

strumento

Gerät

instrument

instrumento

instrument

gereedschap

werktuig

arnese

εργαλείο

instrumento

Pronounced as (IPA)

/tuːl/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: tool

Inherited from Old English: tōl

Cognate with Scots: tuil

Cognate with Icelandic: tól

Cognate with Faroese: tól

Cognate with Old English: tāwian

In summary

From Middle English tool, tol, from Old English tōl (“tool, implement, instrument”, literally “that with which one prepares something”), perhaps borrowed from Old Norse tól, but at any rate ultimately from Proto-Germanic *tōlą (“that which is used in preparation, tool”), from Proto-Indo-European *dewh₂- (“to tie to, secure”), equivalent to taw (“to prepare”) + -le (agent suffix). Cognate with Scots tuil (“tool, implement, instrument, device”), Icelandic tól (“tool”), Faroese tól (“tool, instrument”). Related to Old English tāwian (“to make, prepare, or cultivate”); see taw, and tow ("fibres used for spinning").

Sentences

Use the tool that's needed for the job .

It also drives tool designers to innovate to reduce vibration .