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Origin of tool

before 900; Middle English (noun); Old English tōl; cognate with Old Norse tōl tools; akin to taw2
Related formstool·er, nountool·less, adjectivemul·ti·tool, nounun·tooled, adjective

Synonyms for tool

1. T ool , implement , instrument , utensil refer to contrivances for doing work. A tool is a contrivance held in and worked by the hand, for assisting the work of (especially) mechanics or laborers: a carpenter's tools. An implement is any tool or contrivance designed or used for a particular purpose: agricultural implements. An instrument is anything used in doing a certain work or producing a certain result, especially such as requires delicacy, accuracy, or precision: surgical or musical instruments. A utensil is especially an article for domestic use: kitchen utensils. When used figuratively of human agency, tool is generally used in a contemptuous sense; instrument , in a neutral or good sense: a tool of unscrupulous men; an instrument of Providence.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for tool up

tool

noun

  1. an implement, such as a hammer, saw, or spade, that is used by hand
  2. a power-driven instrument; machine tool
  3. (in combination)a toolkit
the cutting part of such an instrument
  1. any of the instruments used by a bookbinder to impress a design on a book cover
  2. a design so impressed
anything used as a means of performing an operation or achieving an endhe used his boss's absence as a tool for gaining influence
a person used to perform dishonourable or unpleasant tasks for another
a necessary medium for or adjunct to one's professionnumbers are the tools of the mathematician's trade
slang another word for penis
British an underworld slang word for gun

verb

to work, cut, shape, or form (something) with a tool or tools
(tr) to decorate (a book cover) with a bookbinder's tool
(tr often foll by up) to furnish with tools
(when intr, often foll by along) to drive (a vehicle) or (of a vehicle) to be driven, esp in a leisurely or casual style
Derived Formstooler, nountool-less, adjective

Word Origin for tool

Old English tōl; related to Old Norse tōl weapon, Old English tawian to prepare; see taw ²
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for tool up

tool

n.

Old English tol "instrument, implement," from Proto-Germanic *tolan (cf. Old Norse tol), from a verb stem represented by Old English tawian "prepare." The ending is the instrumental suffix -l (e.g. shovel). Figurative sense of "person used by another for his own ends" is recorded from 1660s. Slang meaning "penis" first recorded 1550s.

tool

v.

"to drive a vehicle," 1812, probably from tool (n.). The meaning "to work or shape with a tool" is recorded from 1815; that of "equip (a factory) with machine tools" is from 1927. Related: Tooled; tooling.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with tool up

tool up

1

Provide the equipment for a particular task, as in Now that we're all tooled up let's repair the boat. This term originated in industry, where it is used for supplying a factory with machinery or other equipment for production. [1920s]

2

Arm oneself, as in They tooled up for their encounter with the rival gang. [Second half of 1900s]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.