tool

/tuːl/ noun [C]

Definition

› a small piece of equipment that you use with your hands to make or repair something: They sell agricultural machinery and tools. You can assemble our furniture using hand tools or very basic power tools.

› something that helps you in a particular activity: An educated sales force is one of the most effective tools any company can have. Our online presence gives us a powerful new tool to maintain market position. a business/marketing/research tool a strategic/managerial/statistical tool

› IT a program or feature of a program that helps you do particular things on a computer: The spreadsheet program offers several useful tools for manipulating the material. Companies in the industry tend to use identical, or at least compatible, software tools.

tool of the trade › something that is necessary for doing a particular job: A personal computer and laptop are essential tools of the trade for any journalist. The ability to write clearly is another tool of the trade.

→ See also machine tool

(Definition of tool noun from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Focus on the pronunciation of tool