Meaning & use
cross-head screwdriver
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A screwdriver with a tip shaped like a cross, used for screws with a cross-shaped slot.
Grammar: Countable: a cross-head screwdriver, two cross-head screwdrivers.
Patterns
- a cross-head screwdriver
- use a cross-head screwdriver
I need a cross-head screwdriver to open this toy.
The instructions say to use a cross-head screwdriver, not a flat one.
He bought a set of cross-head screwdrivers in different sizes.
Word forms
| plural | cross-head screwdrivers |
|---|
Common combinations
- a cross-head screwdriver
- Please pass me a cross-head screwdriver from the toolbox.
- use a cross-head screwdriver
- You should use a cross-head screwdriver for these screws.
- cross-head screwdriver set
- He gave me a cross-head screwdriver set for my birthday.
Synonyms and how they differ
- Phillips screwdriver
- Phillips is the American and more specific term; cross-head is the general British term for any cross-shaped screwdriver.
Opposites
Word family
- screwdriver noun
- A tool for turning screws.
Commonly confused: cross-head screwdriver or flat-head screwdriver?
cross-head screwdriver vs flat-head screwdriver
A flat-head screwdriver has a flat tip for screws with a single slot, not a cross shape.
Practice
To tighten this screw with a cross-shaped slot, you need a _____.
Choose one answer.
A cross-head screwdriver fits a cross-shaped slot. A flat-head screwdriver fits a single straight slot, and a hammer or wrench would not turn the screw.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “cross-head screwdriver”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.