tool

English Online Dictionary. What means tool‎? What does tool mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English tool, tol, from Old English tōl (“tool, implement, instrument”, literally “that with which one prepares something”), perhaps borrowed from Old Norse tól, but at any rate ultimately from Proto-Germanic *tōlą (“that which is used in preparation, tool”), from Proto-Indo-European *dewh₂- (“to tie to, secure”), equivalent to taw (“to prepare”) +‎ -le (agent suffix). Cognate with Scots tuil (“tool, implement, instrument, device”), Icelandic tól (“tool”), Faroese tól (“tool, instrument”). Related to Old English tāwian (“to make, prepare, or cultivate”); see taw, and tow ("fibres used for spinning").

Pronunciation

• enPR: to͞ol
• (England, Wales) IPA^(key): /tuːl/
• (US) IPA^(key): /tul/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /tʉːl/
• (Scotland, Northern Ireland) IPA^(key): /tʉl/
• Rhymes: -uːl
• Homophone: tulle

Noun

tool (plural tools)

2. Any mechanical device meant to ease or do a task.

   Hyponyms: hand tool, power tool, machine tool; see also Thesaurus:tool

   1. Any piece of equipment used in a profession, such as a craftsman's.

      Hyponyms: hand tool, power tool, machine tool; see also Thesaurus:tool
3. Anything that aids someone to perform an operation; an instrument; a means.
4. (computing) A piece of software used to develop software or hardware, or to perform low-level operations.

   Hypernyms: application, program

   Hyponyms: utility, applet

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

6. (baseball) A particular skill pertaining to baseball (such as hitting, running, etc.).
7. (vulgar, informal) A penis, notably with a sexual or erotic connotation.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:penis
8. (by extension, vulgar, slang, derogatory) An obnoxious or uptight person.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:jerk

   Hyponym: power tool

9. (slang, Canada, US, MTE, MLE, and possibly wider) A handgun.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:weapon

Derived terms

Translations

References

• tool on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Verb

tool (third-person singular simple present tools, present participle tooling, simple past and past participle tooled)

1. (transitive) To work on or shape with tools, e.g., hand-tooled leather.
2. (transitive) To equip with tools.
3. (intransitive) To work very hard.
4. (transitive, slang) To put down another person (possibly in a subtle, hidden way), and in that way to use him or her to meet a goal.

5. (transitive, volleyball) To intentionally attack the ball so that it deflects off a blocker out of bounds.
6. (transitive, UK, slang, dated) To drive (a coach or other vehicle).
7. (transitive, UK, slang, dated) To carry or convey in a coach or other vehicle.
   • 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, that "he wos a young gent as had much himproved hisself since he tooled him up to the Warsity with his guvnor."

8. (intransitive, slang) To travel in a vehicle; to ride or drive.
   • March 8, 1890, Byron P. Stephenson, "My Trip to Brazil", in Illustrated American

     boys on their bicycles tooling along the well-kept roads

Synonyms

• (volleyball): use

Derived terms

• tool around

Translations

References

Anagrams

• LOTO, OOTL, loot, loto

Dutch

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English tool.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tuːl/
• Hyphenation: tool
• Rhymes: -uːl

Noun

tool m (plural tools, diminutive tooltje n)

1. a tool, aid, instrument, auxiliary device

   Synonym: hulpmiddel

Related terms

• toolbox

Estonian

Etymology

From Middle Low German stôl, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *stōlaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtoːlʲ/
• IPA^(key): /ˈtoːl/
• Hyphenation: tool

Noun

tool (genitive tooli, partitive tooli)

1. chair
   1. A seat with four legs and a backrest for one person.

Declension

Derived terms

References

• tool in Sõnaveeb (Eesti Keele Instituut)

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English tōl, from Proto-Germanic *tōlą.

Alternative forms

• tole, tol, toole

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /toːl/

Noun

tool (plural toles or tolen)

2. A tool, implement, or instrument.
3. An instrument of war; an armament.
4. (rare) A device used for torturing or interrogation.
5. (rare, vulgar) A penis.

Descendants

• English: tool
• Scots: tuil

References

• “tọ̄l, n.(3).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-05-03.

Etymology 2

Noun

tool

2. Alternative form of toll.

Woiwurrung

Noun

tool

1. marsh

References

Wolof

Pronunciation

Noun

tool (definite form tool bi)

1. field
2. garden

References

Omar Ka (2018) Nanu Dégg Wolof, National African Language Resource Center, →ISBN, page 255