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Glite Dictionary
carriage wrench

carriage wrench

9.8
A wrench used to tighten or loosen bolts with a rounded top
  • noun
  • Informal
translation icon : llave de carruaje
  • The mechanic used a carriage wrench to tighten the bolts on the wagon's frame.

Examples

  • Old toolboxes often included a carriage wrench alongside other specialized wrenches.

  • Before you begin assembly, make sure you have a carriage wrench handy for the carriage bolts.

  • Before you begin assembly, make sure you have a carriage wrench handy for the carriage bolts.

  • He used a carriage wrench to tighten the bolts.

  • A carriage wrench is essential for this project.

  • Old toolboxes often included a carriage wrench alongside other specialized wrenches.

  • The mechanic used a carriage wrench to tighten the bolts on the wagon's frame.

Surface Forms

carriage wrench singular
carriage wrenches plural

Morphology

carriage + wrench

The compound clearly signals a type of wrench (wrench + modifier), so learners can infer it is a tool used for something called 'carriage', giving a partial clue. However the intended sense relies on the technical term 'carriage bolt' rather than the common meaning of 'carriage' (vehicle), so the exact meaning is not fully predictable to a B1 learner without domain-specific knowledge.

Etymology

The noun carriage wrench comes from old wagon repair: it is a wrench made to fit the special bolts used on a carriage. That's why the name means 'a wrench for carriage bolts'.