Meaning & use
a spanner
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountableBritish
a metal tool with a shaped end used for turning nuts and bolts
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a spanner' or 'two spanners'.
Patterns
- use a spanner
- a set of spanners
- tighten something with a spanner
He used a spanner to tighten the bolt on the bicycle wheel.
You'll need a spanner to fix that leak under the sink.
The mechanic kept a set of spanners in his toolbox.
nouncountableBritishfigurative
a person or thing that spoils someone's plans or interferes with a situation
Grammar: Often used in the phrase 'throw a spanner in the works'.
Patterns
- throw a spanner in the works
- put a spanner in the works
The sudden rain threw a spanner in the works of our picnic plans.
His illness put a spanner in the works for the whole project.
Word forms
| plural | spanners |
|---|
Common combinations
- adjustable spanner
- An adjustable spanner can fit many different sizes of nuts.
- set of spanners
- He bought a set of spanners at the hardware store.
- throw a spanner in the works
- The new regulations threw a spanner in the works for the building project.
Synonyms and how they differ
- wrench
- This is the usual American word for the same tool; in British English, 'spanner' is more common.
Word family
- spanner noun
- The base form; no common derived words.
Commonly confused: a spanner or wrench?
a spanner vs wrench
In British English, a 'wrench' can also mean a painful twist, but as a tool it is the American word for a spanner.
Practice
What tool would you use to loosen a tight nut?
Choose one answer.
A spanner is a tool for turning nuts and bolts. The other options are unrelated to tools.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a spanner”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.