Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Allen screw

Allen screw

6.3
A screw with a six-sided hole in the head that you turn with a hex key
  • noun
  • /ˈælən skru/
  • Specialized
translation icon : tornillo Allen
  • He used an Allen screw to tighten the connection between the two metal pieces.

Examples

  • To adjust the seat height, simply turn the Allen screw located beneath the chair.

  • He lost one Allen screw while repairing his bicycle, so the seat remained loose.

  • Many modern electronics are held together using small Allen screws instead of traditional screws.

  • The furniture assembly instructions recommend tightening each Allen screw with the provided hex key.

  • I need an Allen screw for this project.

  • The Allen screws are in the toolbox.

  • The machine is assembled using several Allen screws that secure the components together.

Synonyms

screw
vsAllen screw
85 1.2

A small metal piece with a spiral thread that holds things together when turned into wood or metal

is a specific type driven by a hex key into a hexagonal head hole

Surface Forms

Allen screw singular
Allen screws plural

Morphology

Allen + screw

The term relies on 'Allen' as an eponym/brand name referring to a specific hex-key system, which is not semantically informative to a learner who only knows the common noun 'screw'. Knowing 'screw' does not let one deduce the hexagonal socket feature, so unless the learner already knows the specialised term 'Allen (key/wrench)', the overall meaning is not derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Allen screw comes from the Allen company that made the matching tool. The head of the screw has a six-sided hole, so you turn it with an 'Allen key' that fits the hole, and that is why the name means a screw made to be used with that key.