Monkey-wrench
[muhng-kee-rench] /ˈmʌŋ kiˌrɛntʃ/
verb (used with object)
1.
to ruin (plans, a schedule, etc.) unavoidably or, sometimes, deliberately:
The storm monkey-wrenched our plans for a picnic.
verb (used without object)
2.
to prevent, delay, or sabotage industrialization or development of wilderness areas, especially through vandalism.
noun
1.
Also called, especially British, adjustable spanner. a wrench having an adjustable jaw permitting it to grasp nuts or the like of different sizes.
2.
something that interferes with functioning; obstacle:
He threw a monkey wrench into our plans.
noun
1.
a wrench with adjustable jaws
modifier
Promoting preservation of the environment by sabotage
[1975+; fr Edward Abbey’s novel The Monkey-Wrench Gang; ultimately fr throw a monkey wrench into the machinery]
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