wing nut

or wingnut


noun
  1. a nut having two flat, widely projecting pieces such that it can be readily tightened with the thumb and forefinger.

Origin of wing nut

1
First recorded in 1895–1900

Words Nearby wing nut

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use wing nut in a sentence

  • Their job is made easier by wing nut media heroes and even members of Congress who give comfort to their conspiracy theories.

  • The braces were removable, and Mac had loosened a single wing-nut to let the brace swing loose when he heard Johnny Ruiz's answer.

    Tight Squeeze | Dean Charles Ing
  • A handle taken from a worn-out faucet, drilled out and threaded for a bolt, makes a good wing nut.

  • This wire, when hooked into the wing nut, will enable one to wind up the film at a fairly uniform speed.

  • This is to take the place of a tripod, and it must have a small hole and suitable wing nut to attach the camera near the center.

  • “Close those shutters and screw down the wing-nut hard,” he said, hanging the lamp close beside the door.

    Lorimer of the Northwest | Harold Bindloss

British Dictionary definitions for wing nut

wing nut

noun
  1. a threaded nut tightened by hand by means of two flat lugs or wings projecting from the central body: Also called: butterfly nut

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