What is "pipe wrench"

Pipe \Pipe\, n. [AS. p[=i]pe, probably fr. L. pipare, pipire, to chirp; of imitative origin. Cf. Peep, Pibroch, Fife.]

1. A wind instrument of music, consisting of a tube or tubes of straw, reed, wood, or metal; any tube which produces musical sounds; as, a shepherd's pipe; the pipe of an organ. ``Tunable as sylvan pipe.''
   --Milton.

   Now had he rather hear the tabor and the pipe.
   --Shak.

2. Any long tube or hollow body of wood, metal, earthenware, or the like: especially, one used as a conductor of water, steam, gas, etc.

3. A small bowl with a hollow stem, -- used in smoking tobacco, and, sometimes, other substances.

4. A passageway for the air in speaking and breathing; the windpipe, or one of its divisions.

5. The key or sound of the voice. [R.]
   --Shak.

6. The peeping whistle, call, or note of a bird.

   The earliest pipe of half-awakened birds.
   --Tennyson.

7. pl. The bagpipe; as, the pipes of Lucknow.

8. (Mining) An elongated body or vein of ore.

9. A roll formerly used in the English exchequer, otherwise called the Great Roll, on which were taken down the accounts of debts to the king; -- so called because put together like a pipe.
   --Mozley & W.

10. (Naut.) A boatswain's whistle, used to call the crew to their duties; also, the sound of it.

11. [Cf. F. pipe, fr. pipe a wind instrument, a tube, fr. L. pipare to chirp. See Etymol. above.] A cask usually containing two hogsheads, or 126 wine gallons; also, the quantity which it contains.

    Pipe fitter, one who fits pipes together, or applies pipes, as to an engine or a building.

    Pipe fitting, a piece, as a coupling, an elbow, a valve, etc., used for connecting lengths of pipe or as accessory to a pipe.

    Pipe office, an ancient office in the Court of Exchequer, in which the clerk of the pipe made out leases of crown lands, accounts of cheriffs, etc. [Eng.]

    Pipe tree (Bot.), the lilac and the mock orange; -- so called because their were formerly used to make pipe stems; -- called also pipe privet.

    Pipe wrench, or Pipe tongs, a jawed tool for gripping a pipe, in turning or holding it.

    To smoke the pipe of peace, to smoke from the same pipe in token of amity or preparatory to making a treaty of peace, -- a custom of the American Indians.

n. An adjustable wrench (British spanner) with a toothed jaw for gripping pipe, frequently used by a plumber or pipe fitter, to loosen and tighten pipes with threaded connections.

n. adjustable wrench for gripping and turning a pipe; has two serrated jaws that are adjusted to grip the pipe [syn: tube wrench]

The pipe wrench (US), Stillson wrench or Stillsons (UK) is an adjustable wrench used for turning soft iron pipes and fittings with a rounded surface. The design of the adjustable jaw allows it to lock in the frame, such that any forward pressure on the handle tends to pull the jaws tighter together. Teeth angled in the direction of turn dig into the soft pipe. They are not intended for use on hardened steel hex nuts or other fittings because they would ruin the head; however, if a hex nut is soft enough that it becomes rounded beyond use with standard wrenches, a pipe wrench is sometimes used to break the bolt or nut free. Pipe wrenches are usually sold in the following sizes (by length of handle): 10, 12, 14, 18, 24, 36, and 48 inches, although smaller and larger sizes are available as well. They are usually made of cast steel. Today, aluminum is also used to construct the body of the wrench, while the teeth and jaw remain steel. Teeth, and jaw kits (which also contain adjustment rings and springs) can be bought to repair broken wrenches, as this is cheaper than buying a new wrench.