What does wingnut mean?
A wingnut is a small mechanical fastener shaped like a nut with broad, projecting wings or tabs. The wings provide leverage, allowing the fastener to be tightened or loosened by hand without a wrench. Wingnuts are used on adjustable chairs, bicycle seats, equipment panels, and many other fittings where frequent adjustment is useful. In British and American English, the term is also commonly written as “wing nut.” In informal American usage, “wingnut” has a separate, derogatory meaning: a foolish, eccentric, or apparently unreliable person. This slang sense is playful or mocking in some circumstances but insulting in others. The mechanical word is best remembered as a practical example of how a simple shape can make a tool easier to use.
A nut with projecting wings or tabs that can be tightened and loosened by hand.
"The technician loosened the wingnut and removed the cover."
Also written as “wing nut”; the sense is standard technical and everyday English in both British and American usage.
An informal, derogatory term for a foolish, eccentric, or unreliable person.
"The group was being led by a wingnut with an elaborate but impossible plan."
Chiefly American and informal; potentially insulting.
The regular plural is used for both the fastener and the informal personal sense.
"He replaced the loose wingnuts on the cabinet."
A wingnut turns a tiny piece of metal into a tool you can tighten and loosen with your bare hands.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of wingnut
“Wingnut” is an English compound formed from “wing” and “nut,” describing the projecting wings on a nut-shaped fastener. The word developed in connection with mechanical hardware, where the wing-like parts distinguish it from ordinary nuts that require a tool. The related words “wing,” “winger,” and “winglet” share the older English element “wing,” referring to a projecting or extending part.
How wingnut is actually used
The mechanical sense is standard in British and American English and is also commonly written as “wing nut.” The personal sense is informal, chiefly American, and derogatory, so it is best avoided in formal or sensitive contexts.
Easily confused with wingnut
“Wing nut” is simply the two-word spelling of the same fastener, not a different kind of nut.