noun
crowbar
KROH-bahr
noun
1
A steel bar, usually with a curved, flattened end, used as a lever to pry things apart or force them open.
"He used a crowbar to pry the lid off the crate."
"Firefighters pried the door open with a crowbar."
verb
1
To force open or move using a crowbar, or by similar forceful means.
"They had to crowbar the rusted hatch loose."
How to Use Crowbar
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe heavy metal prying tool builders and firefighters use to force things open.
Common pairings
pry with a crowbar
crowbar the door open
Word Forms
crowbarred past tense, crowbars plural, crowbars singular
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He used a _____ to pry the lid off the crate.
Etymology
From "crow" (an old name for a metal lever, since its forked end resembled a crow's foot) plus "bar."