# Tools, Machines & Construction

**Type:** Topic
**Words:** 298

## About

Tools, machines, building, repairs, and engineered structures.

## Words by Level

### A1
- saw — To cut something using a saw.; frequency rank 262
- building — A structure with a roof and walls, such as a house or office; frequency rank 741
- camera — A device for taking photographs or recording video.; frequency rank 948
- machine — A device with moving parts that uses power to do a particular job.; frequency rank 985
- clock — A device that shows the time, usually on a wall or table.; frequency rank 1925
- telephone — A device used to talk with someone over a distance by converting sound into electrical signals.; frequency rank 1972
- piano — A large musical instrument with a keyboard of black and white keys that you press to make sounds.; frequency rank 2179
- pen — A thin instrument that holds ink and is used for writing or drawing.; frequency rank 2554
- guitar — A musical instrument with six strings and a long neck, played with the fingers or a pick.; frequency rank 2724
- pencil — A thin wooden instrument with a grey or coloured centre, used for writing or drawing.; frequency rank 5784
- turn off — to stop a machine or electrical device from working

### A2
- lock — A device that keeps a door, box, or gate shut and is opened with a key or code.; frequency rank 1257
- engine — A machine that turns fuel or power into movement, used to drive vehicles and other machines.; frequency rank 1264
- knife — A tool with a sharp blade and a handle, used for cutting.; frequency rank 1385
- bridge — A structure built over a river, road, or gap so that people can cross it.; frequency rank 1506
- alarm — A device that makes a loud sound to warn of danger.; frequency rank 1735
- screw — A small metal pin with a spiral thread, turned to fasten things together.; frequency rank 1754
- roof — The covering on top of a building that protects it from rain and weather.; frequency rank 1780
- trap — A device made to catch animals.; frequency rank 2097
- factory — A building where goods are made, usually using machines.; frequency rank 2186
- technology — Machines, equipment, and methods created from scientific knowledge to solve practical problems.; frequency rank 2332
- tower — A tall, narrow structure, either standing alone or part of a building.; frequency rank 2411
- elevator — A machine that carries people or goods up and down between the floors of a building.; frequency rank 2499
- structure — The way the parts of something are arranged or organised.; frequency rank 3972
- battery — A device that stores power and is used to run electrical things.; frequency rank 3993
- tool — A device you hold and use to do a particular job.; frequency rank 4263
- lamp — A device that gives light, especially one you can move around a room.; frequency rank 4613
- speaker — A device that produces sound from a phone, computer, or stereo.; frequency rank 4765
- instrument — An object used to make music, such as a piano or guitar.; frequency rank 5581
- scissors — A tool for cutting paper, cloth, and other thin materials, made of two blades joined at a pivot.; frequency rank 6175
- invention — A new device or process that someone has created for the first time.; frequency rank 6179
- fork — A tool with a handle and several points, used for eating or serving food.; frequency rank 6265
- brake — A device that slows down or stops a wheel or vehicle.; frequency rank 6304
- violin — A small wooden stringed instrument with four strings, held under the chin and played with a bow.; frequency rank 6656
- refrigerator — A machine that keeps food and drinks cold so they stay fresh.; frequency rank 7360
- comb — A flat tool with a row of thin teeth, used to tidy and straighten your hair.; frequency rank 7653
- feeder — a container or device that supplies food to people or animals; frequency rank 24919
- knock over — to hit or push something so that it falls from an upright position
- roll over — to turn the body or an object onto another side
- shut off — to stop the flow or supply of something
- tear out — to remove something forcefully from where it is attached or embedded
- tie up — to secure something with string, rope, or a similar fastening

### B1
- switch — A small device you press or move to turn electricity or a machine on and off.; frequency rank 2060
- equipment — The tools, machines, or items needed for a particular activity.; frequency rank 2449
- device — A piece of equipment made for a particular purpose, especially an electronic or mechanical one.; frequency rank 2546
- robot — A machine that can carry out tasks automatically, often programmed to move and work like a person.; frequency rank 3078
- construction — The act or process of building something.; frequency rank 3117
- nail — The hard, thin covering at the end of a finger or toe.; frequency rank 3238
- hammer — A tool with a heavy metal head and a handle, used for hitting nails.; frequency rank 3484
- motor — A machine that uses electricity or fuel to produce movement and power something.; frequency rank 3911
- satellite — A machine sent into space to orbit the Earth and send back signals or information.; frequency rank 4054
- pump — A machine that moves liquid or gas from one place to another.; frequency rank 4134
- lighter — A small device that produces a flame, used for lighting cigarettes or candles.; frequency rank 4490
- drum — A musical instrument that you hit with sticks or your hands to make a beat.; frequency rank 4821
- clip — A small device used to hold things together or in place.; frequency rank 6246
- maintenance — The work of keeping a machine, building, or system in good condition.; frequency rank 6387
- razor — A sharp tool used to shave hair from the skin.; frequency rank 6621
- fax — A document sent or received using a fax machine.; frequency rank 7985
- trumpet — A brass musical instrument that you play by blowing into it, making a bright, high sound.; frequency rank 8074
- recorder — a simple woodwind instrument played by blowing through a fipple and covering finger holes; frequency rank 8149
- flute — A musical instrument shaped like a long tube, played by blowing across a hole near one end.; frequency rank 8359
- valve — a control consisting of a mechanical device for controlling the flow of a fluid; frequency rank 8888
- mop — a cleaning tool with an absorbent head fixed to a long handle, used especially for washing floors; frequency rank 9237
- filter — A device that removes unwanted things from a liquid, gas, or other substance passing through it.; frequency rank 9377
- burner — a device or part of a device in which fuel burns to produce heat; frequency rank 11400
- heater — A machine that produces heat to warm a room, building, or water.; frequency rank 11559
- dishwasher — A machine for washing dishes automatically.; frequency rank 13099
- binoculars — an optical instrument designed for simultaneous use by both eyes; frequency rank 13604
- charger — a device that supplies electrical power to recharge a battery; frequency rank 14913
- windmill — a machine that uses wind-driven sails or blades to provide power, especially for grinding grain or pumping water; frequency rank 18331
- calculator — A small electronic machine used for doing sums.; frequency rank 18955
- loudspeaker — A device that turns an electrical signal into sound loud enough to be heard at a distance.; frequency rank 19288
- photocopy — A copy of a document made by a special machine.; frequency rank 25730
- copier — a machine that makes paper copies of documents or images; frequency rank 28168
- firework — A device that explodes with bright colored lights and loud bangs, used for celebrations.; frequency rank 28805
- modem — A device that connects a computer to the internet through a telephone or cable line.; frequency rank 29293
- tester — a device or instrument used to test the quality, operation, or properties of something; frequency rank 29799
- drumstick — a stick used for striking a drum or similar percussion instrument; frequency rank 32244
- sundial — A device that shows the time by the shadow a pointer casts on a marked surface as the sun moves.; frequency rank 37564
- hairdryer — A small electric machine that blows hot air to dry your hair.; frequency rank 40230
- refit — a thorough repair, renovation, or replacement of equipment, especially on a ship; frequency rank 58604
- fixings — the preparations, arrangements, equipment, or supplies needed for an activity or occasion; frequency rank 59155
- cashpoint — A machine in a wall where you can take out cash using a bank card.; frequency rank 84805
- maintainer — a person responsible for keeping equipment, a system, or a place in good condition; frequency rank 139312
- tin opener — a handheld or electric device for cutting open sealed metal food tins; frequency rank 274667
- remote control

### B2
- siren — a device that produces a loud, rising and falling sound as a warning, or the sound it makes; frequency rank 2819
- gear — The equipment, clothing, or tools needed for a particular activity.; frequency rank 2917
- blade — The flat, sharp cutting part of a knife, sword, or tool.; frequency rank 3709
- crane — a tall machine with a projecting arm, used to lift and move heavy objects; frequency rank 3866
- laser — A device that produces a narrow, powerful beam of light.; frequency rank 5221
- mode — A particular way in which a machine or system operates.; frequency rank 5911
- breakdown — A failure of a machine or system to keep working.; frequency rank 6748
- generator — a machine that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy; frequency rank 6948
- microphone — A device that turns sound into an electrical signal so it can be recorded or made louder.; frequency rank 7868
- facilities — Buildings, equipment, or services provided for a particular purpose.; frequency rank 7884
- telescope — An instrument that makes distant objects look closer and larger, especially stars and planets.; frequency rank 8131
- detector — a device that senses and registers a substance, signal, or physical phenomenon; frequency rank 9242
- cutter — a tool or machine used for cutting a particular material; frequency rank 9343
- ax — A tool with a heavy metal blade on a handle, used for cutting wood.; frequency rank 10007
- pedal — A lever you press with your foot to control or power a machine such as a bicycle, car, or piano.; frequency rank 11054
- screwdriver — a hand or power tool shaped to engage a screw head so that the screw can be tightened or loosened; frequency rank 11780
- rooftop — the outside upper surface of a building's roof; frequency rank 12228
- projector — a device that projects an enlarged image or beam of light onto a surface; frequency rank 12367
- microscope — An instrument that makes very small objects look much bigger so they can be studied.; frequency rank 12654
- component — One of the parts that make up a larger machine, system, or whole.; frequency rank 12878
- cello — A large wooden string instrument played with a bow while seated.; frequency rank 13643
- thermometer — An instrument used to measure temperature.; frequency rank 16237
- scuba — Breathing equipment that lets divers stay and breathe underwater.; frequency rank 16357
- saxophone — a usually brass, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical tube and finger-operated keys; frequency rank 16838
- propeller — a device with blades that rotates to drive an aircraft or vessel through air or water; frequency rank 18363
- trombone — a low-pitched brass instrument whose tube is usually lengthened and shortened with a movable slide; frequency rank 21904
- catapult — a device or ancient engine that launches a projectile with force; frequency rank 23122
- tripod — a three-legged stand or support for a camera, instrument, vessel, or other object; frequency rank 24521
- tongs — a tool with two joined arms used to grip, lift, or hold objects without touching them directly; frequency rank 25429
- mouthpiece — the part of a pipe, musical instrument, telephone, or similar device placed at or near the mouth; frequency rank 25681
- circuitry — The system of electrical circuits inside a device, considered as a whole.; frequency rank 25958
- nutcracker — a tool with two hinged arms or another lever mechanism used to crack nutshells; frequency rank 26072
- dispenser — a device or container that releases a substance or item in measured amounts; frequency rank 26742
- harrow — A heavy farm tool dragged across ploughed land to break up and smooth the soil.; frequency rank 27217
- scythe — A tool with a long curved blade and a long handle, used for cutting grass or grain by hand.; frequency rank 29147
- amplifier — A piece of electronic equipment that makes a sound or signal louder or stronger.; frequency rank 29567
- compressor — a mechanical device that compresses gases; frequency rank 29663
- barometer — An instrument that measures air pressure to help predict the weather.; frequency rank 30234
- reflector — a surface or device that sends light, heat, sound, or other radiation back; frequency rank 38357
- cornet — A brass musical instrument, slightly smaller than a trumpet and with a bright tone.; frequency rank 41060
- slicer — a knife, utensil, or machine designed to cut food or other material into slices; frequency rank 46154
- bassoon — a large double-reed woodwind instrument with a long folded tube, typically playing in the tenor and bass registers; frequency rank 46968
- selector — a control or device used to choose one of several settings or inputs; frequency rank 57273
- auger — a tool with a helical cutting bit used for boring holes in wood, soil, ice, or another material; frequency rank 65316
- micrometer — A tool for measuring very small distances, such as thickness or diameter, with great precision.; frequency rank 133743
- clap together — to assemble something quickly and carelessly
- stake out — to mark the boundaries or route of something with posts

### C1
- buzzer — A device that makes a buzzing sound as a signal.; frequency rank 6210
- mechanism — A part of a machine or a set of moving parts that does a particular job.; frequency rank 7916
- gadget — A small, often clever device or tool that does a particular job.; frequency rank 9776
- radiator — A metal device that gives off heat to warm a room, usually carrying hot water or steam.; frequency rank 14224
- apparatus — A complex machine or set of equipment built for a particular job.; frequency rank 14570
- chisel — A hand tool with a sharp flat blade, used for cutting or shaping wood, stone, or metal.; frequency rank 20436
- appliance — A machine or device used in the home, such as a fridge or washing machine.; frequency rank 22964
- trappings — the outward signs, accessories, or equipment associated with a role, rank, or activity; frequency rank 32400
- automation — equipment used to achieve automatic control or operation; frequency rank 38799
- vise — a tool with two jaws that close to hold an object firmly while it is being worked on; frequency rank 38853
- utensil — A tool or container used in the kitchen for cooking or eating.; frequency rank 40629
- trowel — a mason's hand tool with a flat metal blade, used to spread and shape mortar or plaster; frequency rank 41524
- repeater — an electronic device that receives a signal and retransmits it, often after amplifying it; frequency rank 50016
- cathode — a negatively charged electrode that is the source of electrons entering an electrical device; frequency rank 58465
- resonator — an object, chamber, or part of an instrument that vibrates at particular frequencies and strengthens or shapes a sound; frequency rank 60817
- taximeter — a device in a taxi that calculates and displays the fare according to distance traveled and waiting time; frequency rank 174169
- mnemonic — a device or technique used to aid memory retention
- hew out — to form or carve something by cutting with heavy blows
- prop up — to support something by placing a solid object against or beneath it

### C2
- gong — a percussion instrument consisting of a set of tuned bells that are struck with a hammer; frequency rank 7631
- transmitter — A device that sends out radio, television, or other signals.; frequency rank 9037
- spade — a digging tool with a flat blade and a handle; frequency rank 12189
- bugle — a simple brass instrument, usually without valves, used especially for military signals; frequency rank 14501
- contraption — A strange or overly complicated machine or device.; frequency rank 17903
- plough — a farm tool used to cut and turn over soil before planting; frequency rank 18258
- ventilator — a device that facilitates breathing in cases of respiratory failure; frequency rank 18733
- clarinet — A woodwind musical instrument that has a distinctive liquid tone whose characteristics vary among its three registers: chalumeau (low), clarion (medium), and altissimo (high).; frequency rank 19566
- pacemaker — a small implanted electronic device that regulates an abnormal heartbeat; frequency rank 22183
- sickle — a short-handled agricultural tool with a curved blade, used for cutting grain or grass; frequency rank 22243
- periscope — an optical instrument that provides a view of an otherwise obstructed field; frequency rank 23192
- sonata — a substantial musical composition for one instrument or a small group, usually arranged in several contrasting movements; frequency rank 23804
- lute — a plucked string instrument with a rounded back, flat front, fretted neck, and usually a bent-back pegbox; frequency rank 23857
- forceps — a medical or surgical instrument with two blades or pincers, used for grasping, holding, or extracting something; frequency rank 24922
- stethoscope — a medical instrument used to listen to sounds made by the heart, lungs, and other internal organs; frequency rank 24985
- boathouse — a building beside or over water in which boats and boating equipment are kept; frequency rank 25667
- megaphone — a cone-shaped acoustic device held to the mouth to intensify and direct the human voice; frequency rank 26078
- dynamo — An electricity generator; a dynamo-electric machine.; frequency rank 26121
- pitchfork — a long-handled hand tool with sharp widely spaced prongs for lifting and pitching hay; frequency rank 26796
- steroid — any of a class of organic compounds built around a characteristic structure of four fused carbon rings; frequency rank 28151
- oboe — a high-pitched woodwind instrument with a narrow conical bore and a double reed, used especially in orchestras and chamber music; frequency rank 30467
- paraphernalia — a collection of miscellaneous equipment or objects used for a particular activity; frequency rank 31019
- shaver — a tool or machine used for shaving, especially an electric razor; frequency rank 32925
- excavator — a large powered machine with a boom and bucket, used for digging and moving earth; frequency rank 33896
- truss — a rigid framework of connected beams that supports a roof, bridge, or other structure; frequency rank 35863
- harpsichord — a keyboard instrument in which pressing a key plucks a string, producing a bright, crisp tone; frequency rank 36843
- collider — A machine that speeds up particles and makes two beams of them crash into each other for research.; frequency rank 37924
- spire — A tall, pointed structure on top of a tower or church roof.; frequency rank 38505
- bagpipe — a wind instrument whose pipes are sounded from air stored in a bag, usually referred to in the plural as bagpipes; frequency rank 38634
- spacesuit — a sealed protective suit with life-support equipment that allows an astronaut to survive and work in space or a near-vacuum; frequency rank 39936
- spectrometer — an instrument that separates radiation, particles, or signals into a spectrum and measures their intensity or abundance by wavelength, frequency, energy, or mass-to-charge ratio; frequency rank 40835
- electrode — A conductor through which electric current enters or leaves a device, liquid, or circuit.; frequency rank 41064
- grater — a kitchen tool with a rough or perforated cutting surface used to shred food into small pieces; frequency rank 41610
- pickaxe — a heavy tool with a long handle and a pointed metal head, used for breaking hard ground or rock; frequency rank 43891
- harmonium — a small keyboard instrument whose free reeds are sounded by air supplied through bellows; frequency rank 45435
- timepiece — an instrument for measuring and showing time, especially a clock or watch; frequency rank 46538
- rasp — The sound made by this tool when used, or any similar sound.; frequency rank 47217
- scraper — a tool, blade, or implement used to remove material by scraping; frequency rank 49117
- sextant — A navigational device for deriving angular distances between objects so as to determine latitude and longitude.; frequency rank 49129
- masher — a utensil or machine used to crush food or another material into a soft mass; frequency rank 51088
- concertina — a small free-reed musical instrument with bellows between two end boards, played by pressing buttons while expanding and compressing it; frequency rank 51681
- gimlet — a small hand tool with a screw-shaped point, used for boring holes in wood; frequency rank 52324
- chronometer — A device for measuring time, particularly a precision mechanism for measuring time of day.; frequency rank 56335
- speculum — a medical instrument used to hold open a body passage so that its interior can be examined; frequency rank 57910
- lean-to — a simple shelter or extension with a roof that slopes in one direction, often built against another structure; frequency rank 58140
- colliery — a coal mine together with its surface buildings and equipment; frequency rank 61964
- zither — a stringed instrument with many strings stretched across a flat, usually horizontal soundbox and played by plucking or strumming; frequency rank 63254
- trope — a familiar theme, device, or convention that recurs in a type of story, art, or discussion; frequency rank 69929
- seismograph — an instrument that automatically detects and records the intensity, direction and duration of earthquakes and similar events.; frequency rank 70370
- stylus — a pen-shaped device used to write, draw, or select items on a touchscreen or graphics tablet; frequency rank 73714
- pianoforte — the full or historical name for a piano, a keyboard instrument whose hammers strike strings and whose volume varies with the player's touch; frequency rank 73800
- bourdon — a continuous low drone or bass tone, especially one produced by a bagpipe, hurdy-gurdy, or similar instrument; frequency rank 76975
- cupola — a small dome or domed structure built on top of a roof; frequency rank 78866
- balustrade — A row of balusters topped by a rail, serving as an open parapet, as along the edge of a balcony, terrace, bridge, staircase, or the eaves of a building.; frequency rank 83097
- spectroscope — an instrument that disperses electromagnetic radiation into its component wavelengths so that the resulting spectrum can be viewed or examined, especially in visible light; frequency rank 83801
- whetstone — a flat stone or bonded abrasive used to sharpen the edge of a knife or tool; frequency rank 86174
- spectrograph — an instrument that separates radiation, sound, or charged particles into a spectrum and records or maps the resulting distribution; frequency rank 88251
- gimbal — a device for suspending something, such as a ship's compass, so that it will remain level when its support is tipped.; frequency rank 91950
- collet — a slotted, tapered sleeve that closes around a tool or workpiece to hold it firmly in a machine; frequency rank 92239
- dulcimer — a stringed instrument with strings stretched over a usually trapezoidal soundboard and struck with small hammers; frequency rank 93988
- interferometer — an instrument that superimposes two or more waves and analyzes their interference pattern to make precise measurements of distance, wavelength, refractive index, or related quantities; frequency rank 95727
- theodolite — a surveying instrument with a movable telescope for precisely measuring horizontal and vertical angles; frequency rank 101612
- skulduggery — A devious device or trick.; frequency rank 105179
- mattock — a heavy digging tool with a horizontal blade, often paired with a pick or axe blade on the other end; frequency rank 119927
- windlass — a machine with a horizontal or vertical rotating drum around which a rope or chain is wound to raise or haul heavy loads, especially a ship's anchor; frequency rank 130498
- accoutrement — an item of equipment, clothing, or decoration used for a particular activity or role, most often in the plural; frequency rank 138024
- downstroke — a stroke or movement made downward, especially with a pen, brush, tool, or musical plectrum; frequency rank 163950
- trephine — a surgical instrument with a cylindrical cutting edge for removing a circular section of bone or other tissue; frequency rank 176667
- parer — a tool used to remove a thin outer layer from fruit, vegetables, or another object; frequency rank 179945
- organon — an instrument of thought or a systematic body of principles used in scientific or philosophical inquiry; frequency rank 183337
- potentiometer — a measuring instrument for measuring direct current electromotive forces; frequency rank 209729
- heliograph — an instrument that sends coded signals over a distance by reflecting flashes of sunlight with a mirror; frequency rank 269754
- calorimeter — an instrument for measuring heat absorbed or released during a chemical reaction, phase change, or other physical process; frequency rank 270394
- hygrometer — an instrument for measuring humidity, especially the relative humidity of the air; frequency rank 307972
- nailhead — the flattened or enlarged end of a nail opposite its point, designed to receive the blow of a hammer; frequency rank 314302
- spinning-wheel — a hand- or foot-powered machine that twists fibers into thread or yarn; frequency rank 328549
- corrugator — A machine that corrugates material.; frequency rank 339805
- caltrop — a small metal device with four spikes arranged so that one point always faces upward, used to injure feet, hooves, or tires; frequency rank 342253
- appurtenance — an accessory, subordinate part, or piece of equipment belonging to something more important; frequency rank 343938
- bootjack — a forked device that holds the heel of a boot so the wearer can pull the foot out; frequency rank 364619
- hautboy — archaic: an oboe or an early form of that treble double-reed woodwind instrument; frequency rank 654699
- helve — the handle or haft of a tool or weapon, especially an axe or hammer; frequency rank 1136377
- Jew's harp — a small plucked instrument held against the teeth or lips, whose flexible tongue vibrates while the player's mouth changes the tone; frequency rank 1150854
- multiplexer — an electronic device that selects one of several input signals to send to a single output
- stellarator — a device that confines hot plasma for nuclear-fusion research using a twisted arrangement of external magnetic coils
- stone crusher — a machine that breaks stone or rock into smaller pieces, especially for road building, concrete, quarrying, or ore processing
- palette knife — a blunt, flexible, flat-bladed artist's tool used to mix colors on a palette and sometimes to apply or remove paint
- paper cutter — a machine or device for cutting or trimming sheets of paper to a required size, often with a long hinged blade
- upperworks — the structures and equipment above the hull or main deck of a ship, or above the main body of a vehicle or machine
- stylobate — architecture: the uppermost step or platform of a classical building's stepped base, directly supporting its columns
- falsework — a temporary framework used in the building of bridges and arched structures in order to hold items in place until the structure is able to support itself.
- cantilever — a beam or other structure fixed at one end and projecting outward without support at its other end
- finial — a decorative feature at the top of a roof, spire, or other part of a building
- caisson — a watertight structure used to keep water out of an underwater construction site or to form part of its foundations
- whittle down — to reduce the size of something by cutting small pieces from it

### C2+
- clockwork — A mechanism powered by a coiled spring and regulated by some form of escapement; the power is transmitted through toothed gearwheels and used to drive a mechanical clock, toy, or other device.; frequency rank 14736
- labyrinth — A maze-like structure built by Daedalus in Knossos, containing the Minotaur.; frequency rank 15077
- muller — A machine that mixes clay and sand under a roller for use in preparing a mould for metal casting.; frequency rank 16325
- cave-in — the sudden collapse of earth, rock, a roof, or another enclosing structure; frequency rank 36712
- turnscrew — a screwdriver or similar device for turning screws; now chiefly dated; frequency rank 199457
- sawblade — the toothed cutting blade of a hand saw or powered sawing machine; frequency rank 1063923
- compass — an instrument showing direction; range or scope; (verb) to encompass or achieve
- contrivance — a cleverly made device or scheme; an artificial or strained arrangement
- chopper — a helicopter, or a tool for chopping
- jack — a device for raising heavy objects; also, to raise or boost
- chiller — a machine for cooling, or a frightening story or film
- automaton — a self-operating machine, or a person acting mechanically without thought
- blower — a device that produces a current of air; (British slang) a telephone
- fob — a small ornament or device attached to a key ring or watch chain
- knapsack — a bag carried on the back for provisions or equipment
- mixer — a device or person that mixes; a social gathering for meeting people
- noodle — a strip or string of pasta; to improvise idly, especially on an instrument
- rake — a toothed tool for gathering leaves or smoothing soil
- vibrator — a device that produces a vibrating motion
- violoncello — the full formal name for the cello, a bowed string instrument
- accelerator — a device or thing that increases speed, especially a car's gas pedal
- adapter — a device or person that adapts one thing to fit another
- chronograph — an instrument or watch for recording precise intervals of time
- compiler — one who compiles; a program that translates source code into machine code
- dome — a rounded vault forming the roof of a building or structure
- economizer — a device that saves energy or fuel, especially in a boiler
- fastener — a device that holds or joins things together
- flasher — a device or thing that flashes, such as a blinking light
- gauge — an instrument for measuring; to estimate or measure
- gimmick — a trick or device intended to attract attention rather than serve a real purpose
- glasshouse — a building with glass walls and roof for growing plants; a greenhouse
- gripper — a device or part that grips or holds firmly
- hinge — a jointed device on which a door turns; to depend on something
- hooter — a device that makes a hooting sound, such as a horn or siren
- igniter — a device that sets fire to or starts the combustion of something
- ignitor — a device that ignites a fuel or charge; variant of igniter
- lathe — a machine that rotates a workpiece to shape it with cutting tools
- locator — a device or system that finds the position of something
- portico — a roofed structure supported by columns at the entrance of a building
- scanner — a device that examines or digitizes images, codes, or signals
- shank — the part of the leg between the knee and ankle, or a long narrow stem of a tool
- skimmer — a utensil or device for removing matter from a liquid surface
- stimulator — a thing or device that excites activity or response
- swingle — a wooden tool for beating flax to separate the fibre from the woody stem
- transformer — a device for changing the voltage of an alternating current
- treadle — a lever worked by the foot to drive a machine
- viola — a stringed instrument slightly larger and lower-pitched than the violin
- whirligig — a spinning toy or device, or something in constant whirling motion
- clarin — historical: a very long, trumpetlike wind instrument of Indigenous Mexico; the acocotl type is sounded by drawing air inward through its mouthpiece
- gasogene — historical: a Victorian device with two connected glass globes that generated carbon dioxide and dispensed carbonated water
- plunkety-plunk — onomatopoeic: a repeated dull plunking or clopping sound, such as hoofbeats or notes on a stringed instrument