adjustable spanner
- noun
- /əˈdʒʌstəbl ˈspænər/
- UK
:
llave ajustable
- He used an adjustable spanner to tighten the loose bolts on his bicycle.
Examples
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Well, I can let you have an adjustable spanner if that's what you mean.
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When fixing the plumbing, she found her adjustable spanner was very helpful for reaching tight spots.
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An adjustable spanner is essential for mechanics as it can grip various sizes of nuts and bolts.
Synonyms
60
2.5
A hand tool with a shaped opening that grips and turns nuts and bolts
6
4.4
A tool used to turn nuts and bolts
2
3.0
A tool with one fixed and one movable jaw that grips and turns bolts
1
3.8
A metal tool with a movable jaw for holding and turning nuts and bolts
1
3.0
A tool with a movable jaw that fits different sizes of nuts and bolts
A tool with one movable jaw that you move by turning a screw to hold nuts or bolts
How Powerful
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'adjustable' (capable of being adjusted) with 'spanner' (a tool for gripping/turning fasteners): it denotes a spanner whose size can be adjusted. This is a straightforward descriptive compound found cross-linguistically (e.g., 'adjustable wrench'), so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily understand the MWE.
Etymology
Adjustable spanner comes from the tool's movable jaw: adjustable means it can be changed to 'fit' different nuts and spanner is the word for a wrench. So, the name simply tells you it is a tool you can change to 'fit' many sizes of bolts.