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Glite Dictionary
square nut

square nut

4.2
A small metal piece with four flat sides that fits on a bolt to hold things together
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : tuerca cuadrada
  • To assemble the frame, you will need square nuts that fit the corresponding bolts securely.

Examples

  • The model 8700 hydrant wrench features strong forged construction and will fit pentagon nuts, caps, and square nuts.

    Academic text (2002)

  • The engineer chose square nuts for the installation because they provide a better grip with the bolts.

  • During the project, we used square nuts to ensure everything was fastened tightly and evenly.

Synonyms

nut
vssquare nut
63 4.4

A small metal piece with a screw hole that fits on a bolt

has four flat sides instead of hexagonal shape

Surface Forms

square nut singular
square nuts plural

Morphology

square + nut

The meaning 'a nut with four flat sides' is directly and literally derived from combining 'square' (four-sided shape) with 'nut' (fastening metal block), so a learner who knows both constituents will understand it. This is a straightforward descriptive noun–modifier composition found cross-linguistically, making the expression immediately comprehensible.

Etymology

Square nut comes from its simple shape: a metal nut with four flat sides, like a small square. Because the flat sides make it easy to hold and tighten with a wrench, it has long been used with a bolt to 'fasten' or 'hold things together', which is why the name refers to that fastening part.