Meaning & use
mandril
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Meanings
nouncountabletechnicalspecialist
A metal bar or spindle that holds a workpiece or tool in place while it turns or is being shaped.
Grammar: Countable: use an or the, and the plural is mandrils; the usual spelling in engineering is mandrel.
Patterns
- a mandril holds something
- fit something onto a mandril
- turn a part on a mandril
The machinist slid the metal ring onto a mandril before smoothing the outside.
A worn mandril can make the finished hole slightly too wide.
He ordered a new mandril for the lathe because the old one had bent.
nouncountabletechnical
A rod or core around which material such as paper, plastic, or clay is wrapped or shaped.
Grammar: Countable; often used after on or around: wind the tape on a mandril.
Patterns
- wind something on a mandril
- wrap something around a mandril
- a mandril of cardboard
The plastic film is wound onto a large mandril at the end of the line.
Potters sometimes form a vase over a mandril to keep the shape even.
The tube is made by wrapping hot glass around a steel mandril.
Word forms
| plural | mandrils |
|---|
Common combinations
- a steel mandril
- The steel mandril must be perfectly straight for accurate work.
- fit something onto a mandril
- Fit the bearing onto the mandril and check that it sits flat.
- a tapered mandril
- A tapered mandril grips parts of slightly different sizes.
- remove the mandril
- Let the glue dry completely before you remove the mandril.
- a mandril in a lathe
- The part spins on a mandril in a lathe while the cutter moves along it.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mandrel
- This is the standard modern spelling of the same tool; use mandrel in engineering writing, and treat mandril as a variant.
- spindle
- A spindle is the rotating shaft of a machine, which may or may not hold the workpiece itself.
- arbor
- An arbor is a similar bar that holds a cutting tool or a wheel, rather than supporting a workpiece being shaped.
Word family
- mandrel noun
- The usual spelling of the same tool or core.
Commonly confused: mandril or mandrill? mandril or spindle?
mandril vs mandrill
A mandrill is a large African monkey with a colorful face; mandril (or mandrel) is a metal bar used in machining. The two words sound almost the same but have nothing to do with each other.
mandril vs spindle
A spindle is the turning shaft of a machine; a mandril is the bar that grips or shapes the work, and it may be mounted on a spindle.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'mandril' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A mandril is a bar or core used to hold or shape material, so winding plastic around a heated one fits. Option 0 describes a mandrill, the monkey; option 2 confuses it with a pencil or pen; option 3 describes an animal sound, which a metal tool cannot make.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “mandril”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.