socket wrench

American  

noun

1. a box wrench with a socket that is an extension of the shank.

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socket wrench British  

noun

1. Also: socket set.  a wrench having a handle onto which socketed heads of various sizes can be fitted

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Etymology

Origin of socket wrench

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Leveraging the heavy chair onto a homemade wooden brace, he quickly slips off the old wheels and slips on the new, tightening them with a socket wrench.

From Seattle Times

A socket wrench does the same job as a conventional wrench, only more efficiently.

From Washington Post

The extreme brevity — typical one-acts more often last an hour or longer — serves as a tool, like a socket wrench, to make clear that grief is unbearable, even in small doses.

From New York Times

A container of IcyHot, a bag of little black specks, five or six heavy-duty bungee cords, a screwdriver, a socket wrench, and a small sledgehammer.

From Literature

He’s the electric saw and socket wrench guy.

From Seattle Times