turnbuckle

[turn-buhk-uh l]

noun

a link or sleeve with a swivel at one end and an internal screw thread at the other, or with an internal screw thread at each end, used as a means of uniting or coupling, and of tightening, two parts, as the ends of two rods.

Origin of turnbuckle

First recorded in 1695–1705; turn + buckle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for turnbuckle

Historical Examples of turnbuckle

Grasp the turnbuckle with a pair of tongs and place the end in the fire.
The Library of Work and Play: Working in Metals
Charles Conrad Sleffel
When the correct adjustment has been secured, the turnbuckle must be locked to prevent it from unscrewing.
The Aeroplane Speaks
H. Barber
A latch is not a turnbuckle, and no ironmonger's apprentice would confound the two.
Willis's Current Notes, No. XIII., January 1852
Various
Turnbuckle—A form of wire-tightener, consisting of a barrel into each end of which is screwed an eyebolt.
The Aeroplane Speaks
H. Barber
Wire, Locking—A wire used to prevent a turnbuckle barrel or other fitting from losing its adjustment.
The Aeroplane Speaks
H. Barber

British Dictionary definitions for turnbuckle

turnbuckle

noun

an open mechanical sleeve usually having a swivel at one end and a thread at the other to enable a threaded wire or rope to be tightened

Word Origin for turnbuckle

C19: from turn + buckle

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 turnbuckle

1703, "catch or fastening for windows and shutters," from turn + buckle (n.). Meaning "coupling with internal screw threads for connecting metal rods" is attested from 1877.