spanner
/ˈspænə/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.58 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
One who, or that which, spans.
noun
A (usually sparse) graph whose shortest path distances approximate those in a dense graph or other metric space.
noun
A hand tool shaped like a small crank handle, for winding the spring of a wheel lock on a musket.
noun
A device in early steam engines for moving the valves for the alternate admission and shutting off of the steam.
Obsolete
noun
A problem, dilemma or obstacle; something unexpected or troublesome (in the phrase spanner in the works)
British usage
noun
A stupid or unintelligent person; one prone to making mistakes, especially in language.
British usage; Derogatory
Example Sentences
- "Pass me that spanner, Jake; there's just one more bolt to screw in."
- "Tools don’t have judgment or ethics, and they might fail to push back on bad ideas or dangerous requests. “Your spanner’s never like, ‘This shouldn’t be built,’” she said, using a British term for wrench."
- "The groove in this toolholder is what the spanner grabs onto when you are changing the tool."
- "The scheme of the spanner of continents and the desire of the little husbandman hoarding for his loved ones..."
- "The spanner for spanning or winding up the spring of the wheel lock."
- "Halfway through the production of Macbeth, the director found that the stage was smaller than he expected. This really threw a spanner in the works."
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)pend-der. Proto-Germanic *spannō Old English spann Middle English spanne English span Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English spanner From span + -er.
Regional Pronunciation
- British English: /ˈspænə/