Meaning & use
spanner
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A hand tool that fits around a nut or bolt head so it can be turned to tighten or loosen it.
Grammar: Countable: a spanner, many spanners; American English usually says wrench for the same tool.
Patterns
- adjustable spanner
- ring spanner
- spanner set
He tightened the wheel nut with a spanner and checked it twice.
The toolbox held one adjustable spanner, two screwdrivers, and a roll of tape.
Word forms
| plural | spanners |
|---|
Common combinations
- adjustable spanner
- An adjustable spanner is useful when bolt sizes vary.
- ring spanner
- A ring spanner grips the whole head and is less likely to slip.
- spanner set
- She bought a spanner set before assembling the bed frame.
- throw a spanner in the works
- The lost passport threw a spanner in the works two days before the flight.
Synonyms and how they differ
- wrench
- The common American word; spanner is the usual British term.
- monkey wrench
- A type of adjustable wrench, not every kind of spanner.
- Allen key
- Turns hexagonal socket screws; different shape and use from a spanner.
Commonly confused: spanner or wrench? spanner or spanner vs spinner?
spanner vs wrench
Wrench is broader in American English and can also mean a sudden pull or injury; spanner is British for the tool.
spanner vs spanner vs spinner
Spanner is a tool; spinner is something that spins or a rotating fishing lure.
Practice
In American English, the usual word for a British “spanner” is ___.
Choose one answer.
A spanner is the British name for a tool Americans normally call a wrench; hammers strike, saws cut, and pliers grip rather than turn bolt heads.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “spanner”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.