Definition

Noun: 1. A heavy iron lever with one end forged into a wedge: A straight metal bar, typically made of iron or steel, with a flattened, often slightly curved, wedge-shaped end. It is used as a hand tool to apply prying force, such as for opening crates, removing nails, or levering apart objects.

Usage

• The primary function of a crowbar is to provide mechanical advantage for prying, lifting, or moving heavy objects.
• It is a common tool in construction, demolition, and salvage work.

Examples

• Noun:
  • He used a crowbar to pry open the wooden crate.
  • The firefighter kept a crowbar in the truck for forcible entry.
  • She levered up the old floorboards with a sturdy crowbar.

Advanced Usage

• "to crowbar something open/loose/apart": This verbal usage, though informal, describes the action of using a crowbar.
  • They had to crowbar the door open after the lock jammed.

Variants and Related Words

• Pry bar: A general term for a lever tool used for prying; a crowbar is a specific type of pry bar.
• Wrecking bar: A similar tool, often with a claw for nail pulling on one end.
• Jimmy: (Slang, chiefly US) A short crowbar, often used by burglars.

Synonyms

• Lever: A more general term for a rigid bar used to exert pressure.
• Pry: Can refer to the action or a tool used for prying.

Related Phrases

• "Use a crowbar": The standard phrase for employing the tool.
  • If the lid is stuck, you might need to use a crowbar.
• "Crowbar approach": (Figurative, informal) A method that is forceful, direct, and unsubtle.
  • His negotiation style was a crowbar approach, with little finesse.

Noun

1. a heavy iron lever with one end forged into a wedge