Tool Definition & Meaning

American

British

Usage

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms tool American [tool] / tul /

noun

1. an implement, especially one held in the hand, as a hammer, saw, or file, for performing or facilitating mechanical operations.

2. any instrument of manual operation.

3. the cutting or machining part of a lathe, planer, drill, or similar machine.

4. the machine itself; a machine tool.

5. anything used as a means of accomplishing a task or purpose.

   Education is a tool for success.

6. a person manipulated by another for the latter's own ends; cat's-paw.

7. the design or ornament impressed upon the cover of a book.

8. Underworld Slang.

   1. a pistol or gun.

   2. a pickpocket.

9. Slang: Vulgar. penis.

verb (used with object)

1. to work or shape with a tool.

2. to work decoratively with a hand tool.

3. to ornament (the cover of a book) with a bookbinder's tool.

4. to drive (a vehicle).

   He tooled the car along the treacherous path.

5. to equip with tools or machinery.

verb (used without object)

1. to work with a tool.

2. to drive or ride in a vehicle.

   tooling along the freeway.

verb phrase

1. tool up to install machinery designed for performing a particular job.

   manufacturers tooling up for production.

tool British / tuːl /

noun

1. 1. an implement, such as a hammer, saw, or spade, that is used by hand

   2. a power-driven instrument; machine tool

   3. ( in combination )

      a toolkit

2. the cutting part of such an instrument

3. 1. any of the instruments used by a bookbinder to impress a design on a book cover

   2. a design so impressed

4. 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

5. a person used to perform dishonourable or unpleasant tasks for another

6. a necessary medium for or adjunct to one's profession

   numbers are the tools of the mathematician's trade

7. slang another word for penis

8. an underworld slang word for gun

"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

verb

1. to work, cut, shape, or form (something) with a tool or tools

2. (tr) to decorate (a book cover) with a bookbinder's tool

3. to furnish with tools

4. to drive (a vehicle) or (of a vehicle) to be driven, esp in a leisurely or casual style

"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

Usage

What are other ways to say tool? The word tool usually refers to a handheld object, such as a hammer, saw, or file, that is used to perform or facilitate mechanical operations. When should you use this noun over instrument, implement, or utensil? Learn more on Thesaurus.com.

Other Word Forms

• multitool noun
• tool-less adjective
• tooler noun
• toolless adjective
• untooled adjective

Etymology

Origin of tool

First recorded before 900; Middle English (noun); Old English tōl; cognate with Old Norse tōl “tools”; akin to taw 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Block is the latest tech company to announce massive cuts as employers push workers to use more AI tools to do more with fewer people.

From Los Angeles Times

"Intelligence tools we're creating and using, paired with smaller and flatter teams, are enabling a new way of working," he wrote in a note to staff.

From BBC

Doctors lacked advanced medical tools, so a corpse was watched for three days to be certain it did not awaken.

From Literature

The tool is "designed to streamline restaurant operations" to let managers and staff "focus more on guest service and team leadership", Restaurant Brands International, the chain's parents company, said in a statement on Thursday.

From BBC

‘Intelligence tools have changed what it means to build and run a company,” CEO Jack Dorsey said in a shareholder letter.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• apparatus
• appliance
• device
• engine
• gadget
• gizmo
• machine
• means
• mechanism
• utensil
• weapon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.