1. n. (Australian, NZ, British, Irish) A hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts; a wrench.
Pass me that spanner, Jake; there's just one more nut to screw in.
2. n. (rare) One who, or that which, spans.
3. n. (weaponry) A hand tool shaped like a small crank handle, for winding the spring of a wheel lock on a musket.
* 1786, Fig. 10. The spanner for spanning or winding up the spring of the wheel lock. — Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, page xvi.
4. n. (obsolete) A device in early steam engines for moving the valves for the alternate admission and shutting off of the steam.
5. n. (UK) A problem, dilemma or obstacle; something unexpected or troublesome (in the phrase spanner in the works)
Halfway through the production of Macbeth, the director found that the stage was smaller than he expected. This really threw a spanner in the works.
6. n. (UK, Irish, mildly, derogatory) A stupid or unintelligent person; one prone to making mistakes, especially in language.
You spanner, Rodney! I wanted a Chinese, not an Indian!
wrench
wrench
1. n. A movement that twists or pulls violently; a tug.
2. n. An injury caused by a violent twisting or pulling of a limb; strain, sprain.
3. n. (obsolete) A trick or artifice.
4. n. (obsolete) Deceit; guile; treachery.
5. n. (obsolete) A turn at an acute angle.
6. n. (archaic) A winch or windlass.
7. n. (obsolete) A screw.
8. n. A distorting change from the original meaning.
9. n. (US) A hand tool for making rotational adjustments, such as fitting nuts and bolts, or fitting pipes; a spanner.
10. n. (UK) An adjustable spanner used by plumbers.
11. n. A violent emotional change caused by separation.
12. n. (physics) In screw theory, a screw assembled from force and torque vectors arising from application of Newton's laws to a rigid body.
13. n. (obsolete) means; contrivance
14. n. In coursing, the act of bringing the hare round at less than a right angle, worth half a point in the recognised code of points for judging.
15. v. (intransitive, obsolete) To violently move in a turn or writhe.
16. v. To pull or twist violently.
With a surge of adrenaline, she wrenched the car door off and pulled out the injured man.
17. v. (transitive, obsolete) To turn aside or deflect.
18. v. (transitive, obsolete) To slander.
19. v. (transitive, obsolete) To tighten with or as if with a winch.
20. v. To injure (a joint) by pulling or twisting.
Be careful not to wrench your ankle walking along those loose stones!
21. v. To distort from the original meaning.
22. v. (transitive, obsolete) To thrust a weapon in a twisting motion.
23. v. (intransitive, fencing, obsolete) To disarm an opponent by whirling his or her blade away.
24. v. To rack with pain.
25. v. To deprive by means of a violent pull or twist.
26. v. To use the tool known as a wrench.
The plumber wrenched the pipes until they came loose.
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