crescent spanner
An open-end adjustable spanner with a worm-drive thumbwheel. When the term adjustable spanner or adjustable wrench is used, this type (branded with any of many brands) is usually the type meant.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Use a crescent spanner to tighten that loose bolt.”
“He keeps a crescent spanner in his kitchen drawer for quick home repairs.”
“I could not find the right size wrench, so I used a crescent spanner to finish the repair.”
“If you are not sure which tool to bring, a crescent spanner is helpful because it fits many different sizes of nuts and bolts.”
“The plumber adjusted his crescent spanner to grip the old pipe tightly before he tried to turn it.”
“The mechanic reached for his crescent spanner, carefully adjusting the thumbwheel to fit the unusual nut size before applying steady pressure.”
A genericization of the trade name of a company famous for making them (although it did not invent them); details are at Wikipedia. The trademark is still protected, and this genericized term is only informal and loose. Compare kleenex and coke.
Last updated August 10, 2026