spanner

/ˈspænər/

/ˈspænə/

Other forms: spanners

A spanner is a type of adjustable wrench. Outside of North America, spanner is just another word for “wrench.” If Americans want to ruin something, they “throw a wrench into it.” British people “throw a spanner in the works.”

If you've ever needed to assemble something — like bookshelves — and needed to tighten or loosen a bolt, you probably needed a spanner. A spanner is a type of wrench with an opening and sometimes little teeth: you can clasp it over the nut or bolt and get a good grip. In the US, the main difference between a spanner and other wrenches is the spanner is adjustable and works with many sizes of nuts and bolts.

Definitions of spanner

1. noun

   a hand tool that is used to hold or twist a nut or bolt
   synonyms: wrench

   types:

   adjustable spanner, adjustable wrench

   can be changed to different settings

   Allen wrench

   a wrench for Allen screws

   alligator wrench

   a wrench with a v-shaped jaw and serrations on one side (resembles the open jaws of an alligator)

   box end wrench, box wrench

   a wrench with a closed loop (a socket) that fits over a nut or bolt head

   brace wrench

   a wrench shaped like a brace (has a handle shaped like a crank) and a socket head

   bulldog wrench

   a wrench designed to provide a firm grip on something

   carriage wrench

   a wrench designed for use with carriage bolts

   dog wrench

   a wrench with a handle shaped like a crank

   hook spanner, hook wrench

   a wrench with a hook that fits over a nut or bolt head

   lug wrench

   a wrench with jaws that have projecting lugs to engage the object that is to be rotated

   open-end wrench, tappet wrench

   a wrench having parallel jaws at fixed separation (often on both ends of the handle)

   pin wrench

   a wrench that has a projecting pin that fits into a socket on the object to be turned

   screw key

   a wrench for turning a screw

   socket wrench

   a wrench with a handle onto which sockets of different sizes can be fitted

   sparkplug wrench

   a wrench for removing or tightening spark plugs into the cylinder head of an internal combustion engine

   tap wrench

   a wrench for turning a tap to create an internal screw thread

   torque wrench

   a wrench that has a gauge that indicates the amount of torque being applied

   crescent wrench

   an adjustable wrench designed to fit hexagonal nuts with the adjusting screw built into the head of the wrench

   monkey wrench, monkey-wrench

   adjustable wrench that has one fixed and one adjustable jaw

   pipe wrench, tube wrench

   adjustable wrench for gripping and turning a pipe; has two serrated jaws that are adjusted to grip the pipe

   screw wrench

   adjustable wrench that has one jaw that can be adjusted by turning a screw

   S wrench

   a wrench with an S-shaped handle

   type of:

   hand tool

   a tool used with workers' hands