monkey wrench
A wrench with an adjustable jawA wrench (spanner) with an adjustable jaw.
» Tom sneaked up behind the guard and clobbered him with a monkey wrench.
CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FRMeaning
2 sensesA wrench (spanner) with an adjustable jaw.
Rollgabelschlüssel, Engländer
разводно́й ключrazvodnój ključ
розвідни́й ключrozvidnýj ključ
adjustable wrench that has one fixed and one adjustable jaw
(figuratively)An unexpected or troublesome problem, obstacle or dilemma.
Problem
Examples
3 sentencesTom sneaked up behind the guard and clobbered him with a monkey wrench.
Factional in-fighting threw a monkey wrench into the deliberations.
Tom straightened up, and tossed a monkey wrench into the tool box.
Translations
9 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 1
By meaning 2
Origin
Already in use, and not unfamiliar among mechanics, by 1832; see discussion and referencesAlready in use, and not unfamiliar among mechanics, by 1832; see discussion and references at Monkey wrench § Etymology and history.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
plural: monkey wrenchesSynonyms
5 synonyms- adjustable wrench that has one fixed and one adjustable jaw:monkey-wrench
Word family
2 related wordsSee also
neighbours in the dictionaryDictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.