wing nut
noun
variants
or wingnut
plural wing nuts or wingnuts
1
usually wing nut
: a nut with wings that provide a grip for the thumb and finger
The wing nut on the handle is tightened to secure the blade in the measured position.—
The Home Tool Kit
The Home Tool Kit2
slang
: a mentally unsound person
Ever since his mesmerizing performance as a psychotic cop killer in 1979's The Onion Field, Woods has possessed the image of a driven, angry, over-the-edge wing nut.—Susan Schindehette et al.
Susan Schindehette et al.3
slang
: one who advocates extreme measures or changes (as in politics)
Many on Cheney's staff see Bush's aides as too liberal, while some Bush aides view the vice-presidential staff as wing nuts.—Nancy Gibbs and Mike Allen
Nancy Gibbs and Mike AllenRussia proved highly susceptible to the lure of what, in current parlance, would be called wingnuts (fanatics on the far left or right).—The Economist
The EconomistExamples of wing nut in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Plus, the wing nut at the handle's base makes changing things up between activities simple.
—Brittany Vincent, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Sep. 2023
Flynn would’ve fought it, but the FBI expanded its aperture and went after his son Michael Flynn Jr., who’d become a wing nut on Twitter.
—Matt Farwell, The New Republic, 30 Nov. 2021
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Brittany Vincent, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Sep. 2023
Flynn would’ve fought it, but the FBI expanded its aperture and went after his son Michael Flynn Jr., who’d become a wing nut on Twitter.
—Matt Farwell, The New Republic, 30 Nov. 2021
Dictionary Entries Near wing nut
Cite this Entry
“Wing nut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wing%20nut. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
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