tool
an implement, especially one held in the hand, as a hammer, saw, or file, for performing or facilitating mechanical operations.
any instrument of manual operation.
the cutting or machining part of a lathe, planer, drill, or similar machine.
the machine itself; a machine tool.
anything used as a means of accomplishing a task or purpose: Education is a tool for success.
a person manipulated by another for the latter's own ends; cat's-paw.
the design or ornament impressed upon the cover of a book.
Underworld Slang.
a pistol or gun.
a pickpocket.
Slang: Vulgar. penis.
to work or shape with a tool.
to work decoratively with a hand tool.
to ornament (the cover of a book) with a bookbinder's tool.
to drive (a vehicle): He tooled the car along the treacherous path.
to equip with tools or machinery.
to work with a tool.
to drive or ride in a vehicle: tooling along the freeway.
tool up, to install machinery designed for performing a particular job: manufacturers tooling up for production.
Origin of tool
1Other words from tool
- tooler, noun
- toolless, adjective
- mul·ti·tool, noun
- un·tooled, adjective
Words Nearby tool
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use tool in a sentence
And the law can easily be used as a political tool to punish any disrespect of the state.
Disco Mullah Blasphemy Row Highlights Pakistan’s Hypocrisy | Shaheen Pasha | December 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHe wasn't crazy about being fat, but he saw his body as a tool to use in the making of his career.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days | David Freeman | December 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTtool around Capitol Hill, which brims gay bars, restaurants, and clubs.
“The spoon was a tool for foreshadowing,” the Facebook page explains.
‘The Walking Dead’ Fans Demand: Bring Back Beth! | Melissa Leon | December 11, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThis study uses the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), which is really a tool that tracks crimes.
College Girls Are Less Likely to Be Raped Than Non-Students | Brandy Zadrozny | December 11, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The execution is such that the drawing of the gown and the lines of the face seem to have been traced by an engraver's tool.
Bastien Lepage | Fr. CrastreReaching into one of the secret pockets of his wide black belt he removed a curiously shaped tool of finest tempered steel.
Whoever denied the former proposition was called a tool of the Court.
The History of England from the Accession of James II. | Thomas Babington MacaulayMariequita sat near by, dangling her legs, watching him work, and handing him nails from the tool-box.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories | Kate ChopinHe could tool a heap like a maniacal genius born with a steering wheel in his hands.
British Dictionary definitions for tool
/ (tuːl) /
an implement, such as a hammer, saw, or spade, that is used by hand
a power-driven instrument; machine tool
(in combination): a toolkit
the cutting part of such an instrument
any of the instruments used by a bookbinder to impress a design on a book cover
a design so impressed
anything used as a means of performing an operation or achieving an end: he used his boss's absence as a tool for gaining influence
a person used to perform dishonourable or unpleasant tasks for another
a necessary medium for or adjunct to one's profession: numbers are the tools of the mathematician's trade
slang another word for penis
British an underworld slang word for gun
to work, cut, shape, or form (something) with a tool or tools
(tr) to decorate (a book cover) with a bookbinder's tool
(tr often foll by up) to furnish with tools
(when intr, often foll by along) to drive (a vehicle) or (of a vehicle) to be driven, esp in a leisurely or casual style
Origin of tool
1Derived forms of tool
- tooler, noun
- tool-less, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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