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tool

n. · v.
US //ˈtuɫ// UK //tˈuːl// tool
  1. 1 physical implement (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    a physical object, like a hammer or saw, that you hold in your hand to do a job.

    a handheld device or implement used to carry out a particular function, especially in manual work.

    Example

    He kept a small box of tools in the garage for fixing his bicycle.

    Example

    The carpenter selected a specialized tool from his belt to ensure the dovetail joints were perfectly flush with the frame.
  2. 2 software or resource (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Computing

    a piece of software or a method that helps you finish a task.

    a digital utility or abstract resource employed to facilitate a specific operation or process.

    Example

    This website is a great tool for learning new vocabulary words.

    Example

    The developers integrated a new debugging tool into the environment to streamline the identification of memory leaks.
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  1. 3 a person being used (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    a person who is used by someone else to get what they want, often without knowing it.

    a person used by another to perform a task or achieve an objective, typically in a subservient or unwitting capacity.

    Example

    He realized too late that he was just a tool in their political game.

    Example

    The ambitious minister was merely a tool of the crown, discarded as soon as the controversial policy had been enacted.
  2. 4 obnoxious person (n.)
    C1 Advanced Slang Informal

    an annoying or stupid person who tries too hard to look cool.

    a derogatory term for an obnoxious, contemptible, or socially inept individual.

    Example

    Don't listen to him; he's just a tool who likes to hear himself talk.

    Example

    The lead singer acted like such a tool during the interview that the journalist decided to kill the story entirely.
  3. 5 a handgun (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Slang American English Dialect

    a slang word for a gun.

    a slang term for a firearm, specifically a handgun.

    Example

    The lyrics mentioned keeping a tool under the car seat for protection.

    Example

    In certain urban dialects, the term tool is frequently used as a coded reference to a concealed handgun.
  4. 6 to shape or decorate (v.)
    C1 Advanced Technical

    to decorate or shape something, like leather, using special equipment.

    to work on or ornament a surface, particularly leather or metal, using specialized implements.

    Example

    The artist spent hours toiling to tool the intricate design into the leather belt.

    Example

    The antique book was bound in hand-tooled calfskin, featuring gold-leaf accents along the spine.
  5. 7 to drive around (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Informal British English

    to drive or travel in a vehicle, usually in a relaxed way.

    to travel or cruise in a vehicle, often implying a casual or aimless manner.

    Example

    We spent the afternoon tooling around the countryside in his old convertible.

    Example

    They spent the bank holiday tooling along the coastal roads, stopping occasionally to admire the view.
Origin

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").

Word family
Idioms1 entry

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