Skip to main content
wing screw

wing screw

5.5
A small metal part with flat side pieces you can turn by hand to hold things together
  • noun
  • /wɪŋ skru/
  • Specialized
translation icon : tornillo de ala
  • The wing screw design makes adjustments quick and easy on the go.

Examples

  • I need a wing screw for this project.

  • He replaced the lost wing screw to keep the battery compartment closed.

  • Tighten the panel securely with a wing screw so it can be removed without tools.

  • She tightened the wing screw by hand.

  • To assemble the furniture, he turned the wing screws by hand without needing any tools.

  • The package came with various fasteners, including wing screws for easy installation.

  • She used wing screws to secure the wooden panels, allowing her to adjust them easily.

Synonyms

thumbscrew
vswing screw
1 7.2

A small metal piece you turn with your thumb and fingers to hold things tight without tools

has flat wing projections to enable turning by hand instead of only finger grip

How Precise

actuator
  • Specialized
5 7.4
rack and pinion
  • Specialized
1 6.0
train
  • Specialized
47 7.7
wing screw
  • Specialized
5.5
pulley
  • Specialized
23 3.4

Surface Forms

wing screw singular
wing screws plural

Morphology

wing + screw

The meaning is directly compositional: combining 'wing' (a projecting, wing-like part) with 'screw' yields a screw that has wing-like projections for turning by hand. This compound follows a straightforward English noun + noun pattern and has cross-linguistic parallels, so a B1 learner who knows the parts should be able to infer the meaning.

Etymology

The noun wing screw comes from the small flat wing shapes on the head of the screw that look like tiny wings you can hold between your fingers. Those 'wings' let you turn the screw 'by hand' without tools, so the name means a screw you can tighten or loosen easily.