tool

Study(29)

UK /tuːl/ US /tul/

noun 5verb 5

Collocations

(noun.) instrument for making/repairing things

ADJ

general-purpose, multi-purpose

basic, primitive, standard, traditional

My grandfather still prefers basic tools when he works in his workshop.

QUANT

set

VERB + TOOL

use | sharpen

blunt

A knife will blunt quickly if you use it to cut hard cheese every day.

down ~s

The construction crew downed tools at noon when the foreman announced the project was cancelled.

TOOL + NOUN

kit

PHRASES

the tool/tools of the trade

A carpenter's hammer and saw are the essential tools of the trade.

(noun.) sth that helps you do/achieve sth

ADJ

effective, essential, important, indispensable, invaluable, major, necessary, powerful, useful, valuable, vital

educational, learning, reference, research

The new software has become an essential learning tool for students preparing for their exams.

ideological, negotiating, political, propaganda

The government used propaganda tools to influence public opinion during the election campaign.

communication, management, marketing | analysis/analytical, design, desktop, development, drawing, multimedia, presentation, programming, software

Definitions

noun

Any physical device meant to ease or do a task.

Several prehistoric tools, including a stone ax, were found during the dig.

A screwdriver is a tool that no household should be without.

Any physical device meant to ease or do a task.

the tools of the trade

Rakes, shovels, hoes, and spades are some of the tools of the gardener's trade.

Anything that aids someone to perform an operation; an instrument; a means.

Idleness is a tool of the devil.

A spreadsheet app and a bookkeeping app are some of the principal tools of a bookkeeper.

A piece of software used to develop software or hardware, or to perform low-level operations.

The software engineer had been developing lots of EDA tools.

a tool for recovering deleted files from a disk

A person or group which is used or controlled, usually unwittingly, by another person or group, a pawn.

She was a tool of the pharmaceutical lobby.

He was a tool of a foreign influence operation.

verb

To work on or shape with tools, e.g., hand-tooled leather.

To equip with tools.

To work very hard.

Do this lab and read this book, now tool, one and all, And be sure and pass that final quiz or be screwed right to the wall.

To put down another person (possibly in a subtle, hidden way), and in that way to use him or her to meet a goal.

Dude, he's not your friend. He's just tooling you.

To intentionally attack the ball so that it deflects off a blocker out of bounds.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

noun — the means whereby some act is accomplished

instrument

noun — obscene terms for penis

noun — a person who is controlled by others and is used to perform

verb — ride in a car with no particular goal and just for the pleas

joyride

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

tool around

To drive or jaunt about, going from place to place without any specific direction or goal.

Near-synonym: cruise

if your only tool is a hammer, then every problem looks like a nail

Synonym of if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

Example Bank

Several prehistoric tools, including a stone ax, were found during the dig.

Wiktionary

A screwdriver is a tool that no household should be without.

Wiktionary

A stapler is a tool for attaching papers to others.

Wiktionary

Do this lab and read this book, now tool, one and all, And be sure and pass that final quiz or be screwed right to the wall.

Wiktionary

Dude, he's not your friend. He's just tooling you.

Wiktionary

1850s, Cuthbert M. Bede, The Adventures of Mr. Verdant Green Among those who seemed disposed to join in this opinion was the Jehu of the Warwickshire coach, who expressed his conviction to our hero, t

Wiktionary

Usage Notes

i Register

In some senses, tool is marked as slang. Watch for register when choosing this word.

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