What does crowbar mean?
A crowbar is a long, heavy bar of iron or steel, typically with one flattened, wedge-shaped end — sometimes forked or hooked — that is used as a lever to pry apart objects, extract nails, lift heavy items, or force open doors and containers. Its design exploits simple mechanical leverage: a small effort applied at one end produces a much greater force at the working tip. Crowbars are indispensable in construction, demolition, carpentry, and rescue work, where they are valued for brute strength rather than precision. The word is standard in both British and American English, though related terms such as pry bar, wrecking bar, and jimmy denote similar tools of varying size and shape. Figuratively, a crowbar can describe any blunt instrument used to force something open, whether physical or abstract — evidence prying open a scandal, for instance. The name is thought to derive from the resemblance of the tool's forked end to a crow's beak, giving this humble tool a memorable ornithological pedigree.
nounA heavy iron or steel bar with a flattened, often curved, forked end used as a lever for prying, lifting, or dismantling; also called a pry bar or wrecking bar.
- A long iron or steel bar with a flattened, chisel-like or forked end, used with leverage to pry apart boards, nails, or other fastened objects.
- (Figurative) Any means or instrument used forcibly to open, extract, or separate something.
"The demolition crew pried open the boarded doorway with a crowbar."
"She wedged the crowbar under the crate's lid and heaved until the nails gave way."
"The auditor used the missing receipts as a crowbar to force open an inquiry into the department's finances."
Standard regular plural; used when referring to multiple such tools.
"The toolbox held hammers, screwdrivers, and two crowbars of different lengths."
Its name likely comes from its forked end, said to resemble a crow's beak — making it one of the few tools named after a bird.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of crowbar
Crowbar first appears in English in the early seventeenth century, formed from 'crow' + 'bar'. The name most likely refers to the tool's forked or beaked end, which was likened to a crow's beak; an alternative suggestion connects it to the crowsfoot-shaped head of some early versions. It is a straightforward English compound rather than a borrowing from another language, so it has no true cognates abroad, though equivalent compound terms exist elsewhere.
How crowbar is actually used
The term 'crowbar' is standard in both British and American English. In British English, 'jimmy' or 'jemmy' may also be used for smaller prying tools, and 'crowbar' sometimes carries a slight association with burglary or forced entry in figurative use. The verb sense (to pry something open with a crowbar) exists but is informal and less common than the noun.
Easily confused with crowbar
A crow is a black bird of the corvid family, whereas a crowbar is a metal lever tool — they share only the word 'crow' in their formation.
A chisel has a sharp cutting edge for carving or shaping material, while a crowbar is a blunt lever designed for prying and leverage rather than cutting.