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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Tool Meaning: Hand Tools, Methods & Usage (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：a hand tool (tool)

tool 🔊

/tuːl/

An object you hold and use to do a job, like making or fixing things.

Hand tools on workbench: hammer, screwdriver, wrench, tape measure

a hand tool 🔊

➕

/ə hænd tuːl/

A physical object designed to help you perform a specific task, typically in construction, repair, or crafting.

📁 Category：Objects & Materials 🔖 Level：beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Old English 'tól', related to 'tawian' (to prepare, make). A thing used to make or do work.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of 'tool' as 't'ake 'o'ut 'o'bstacles 'l'everage – it helps you overcome problems.

📖 Example

My dad taught me how to use a tool like a screwdriver to fix my bicycle. 🔊 My dad taught me how to use a tool like a screwdriver to fix my bicycle.

🔗 Collocations

power tool – A tool that uses electricity or batteries, such as a drill or saw.

tool box – A container for storing and carrying tools.

tool kit – A set of tools for a particular purpose.

🔄 Synonyms

implement (n.) – A tool or device used for a specific task, often in farming or cooking.

device (n.) – A piece of equipment designed to perform a particular function.

instrument (n.) – A tool used for delicate or precise work, especially in science or music.

🚫 Antonyms

material (n.) – The substance or matter from which something is made, as opposed to the tool used.

🌱 Derivatives

tooling (n.) – The process of making or using tools, or the equipment itself.

toolbox (n.) – A box or container for tools.

📖 Cultural Story

Derived from Proto-Germanic '*tōlą', meaning 'that which is used for making'. It has been a core word in English since the 8th century, reflecting humanity's fundamental reliance on instruments for creation and repair.

Meaning 2：a means or method (tool)

tool 🔊

/tuːl/

A method or thing you use to achieve something.

Using laptop and notebook as learning tools for language study

a means or method 🔊

➕

/ə miːnz ɔːr ˈmeθəd/

A system, technique, or resource used to achieve a particular goal, often intangible like software or a strategy.

📁 Category：Technological Inventions 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

For many people, a smartphone is an essential tool for communication and finding information. 🔊 For many people, a smartphone is an essential tool for communication and finding information.

🔗 Collocations

research tool – A resource or method used to conduct academic or scientific investigation.

teaching tool – An aid or technique used to facilitate learning.

marketing tool – A strategy or device used to promote products or services.

🔄 Synonyms

method (n.) – A particular way of doing something, often following a plan or system.

technique (n.) – A skilled or specialized way of performing a task.

resource (n.) – Something that can be used to help achieve an aim, like time, money, or information.