crowbar
n. countablen. a long, heavy metal tool with a curved end. You use it to pry things open, like a stuck door or a heavy lid.
n. a long, heavy metal bar with a curved or hooked end, used for prying objects apart or lifting heavy weights.
He used a crowbar to open the heavy wooden crate.
The firefighters used a crowbar to break the door open after the hinges became stuck during the rescue.
While modern tools offer more precision, the crowbar remains an essential piece of equipment for any construction worker dealing with heavy timber or stubborn structural barriers.
From crow (“crow (bird)" also "metal lever, crowbar”) + bar, probably because the forked end looks like a crow's foot.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Last updated May 30, 2026