nut key

8.9

A small tool climbers use to pull metal pieces from cracks in rock

noun
/nʌt ki/

Jargon

: llave de nut

Without a nut key, retrieving stuck chocks can be very difficult.

Examples

She used her nut key to remove the gear from the crack quickly.
Do you have a nut key in your climbing kit?
Every climber should carry a nut key when tackling traditional routes.
He used a nut key to remove the gear.
Every climber should carry a nut key when tackling traditional routes.
She used her nut key to remove the gear from the crack quickly.
Without a nut key, retrieving stuck chocks can be very difficult.

Synonyms

nut tool

vsnut key

Jargon

9.5

A small metal hook climbers use to pull stuck climbing nuts from rock cracks

is the common name without stressing specialized or technical usage

Surface Forms

nut key singular

nut keys plural

Morphology

nut + key

The noun is compositionally a 'key' for a 'nut' — i.e., a tool used to manipulate or remove a nut/chock. Although the use is specialized (mountaineering), the basic function is directly derivable from the constituents, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Nut key comes from climbing gear. When climbers put a metal nut into a crack for safety, they use a small hooked key to pull it out, so the name means 'a tool for removing a nut'.