tooling

American  

[too-ling] / ˈtu lɪŋ /

noun

1. work done with a tool or tools; tooled ornamentation, as on wood, stone, or leather.

2. Machinery.

   1. a number of tools, as in a particular factory.

   2. the planning and arrangement of tools for a particular manufacturing process.

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tooling British  

/ ˈtuːlɪŋ /

noun

1. any decorative work done with a tool, esp a design stamped onto a book cover, piece of leatherwork, etc

2. the selection, provision, and setting up of tools, esp for a machining operation

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Etymology

Origin of tooling

First recorded in 1665–75; tool + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

In February, global consultancy Accenture reportedly told staff that promotions to top roles would require "regular adoption of AI tooling" and it would be tracking their usage of the AI platform it has developed.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026

If that case plays out, Shi said he could see hyperscalers leaning more toward customer-owned tooling, which would be bullish for EDA systems.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 20, 2026

“The company sits at multiple control points across the enterprise estate—cloud infrastructure, productivity software, developer tooling and security — which should allow it to shape enterprise AI adoption rather than respond to it,” Jader wrote.

From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026

“We’re investing in AI-native tooling so individuals at Meta can get more done. We’re elevating individual contributors and flattening teams,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

All were lovingly ornamented with Spanish leather in scarlet, and with gold tooling.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

Related Words

• color
• design
• finery
• ornament
• plaque
• ribbon
• trinket
• wreath