"monkey-wrencher" meaning in English

See monkey-wrencher in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Forms: monkey-wrenchers [plural], monkey wrencher [alternative], monkeywrencher [alternative]
Etymology: From monkey wrench + -er, see monkeywrenching. Etymology templates: {{affix|en|monkey wrench|-er|id2=occupation}} monkey wrench + -er Head templates: {{en-noun}} monkey-wrencher (plural monkey-wrenchers)
  1. (slang) An activist who sabotages operations perceived as harmful to the natural environment. Tags: slang Related terms: monkeywrenching

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "monkey wrench",
        "3": "-er",
        "id2": "occupation"
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      "expansion": "monkey wrench + -er",
      "name": "affix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From monkey wrench + -er, see monkeywrenching.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "monkey-wrenchers",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
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    },
    {
      "form": "monkey wrencher",
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        "alternative"
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    },
    {
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  "head_templates": [
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      "args": {},
      "expansion": "monkey-wrencher (plural monkey-wrenchers)",
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  "lang_code": "en",
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  "senses": [
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      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
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        {
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          "parents": [],
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        {
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
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      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1989, Roderick Frazier Nash, The Rights of Nature: A History of Environmental Ethics, University of Wisconsin Press, →ISBN, page 196:",
          "text": "Howie Wolke, an Earth First! founder and frequent monkey-wrencher, thought \"conventional tactics\" and \"non-violent direct action\" were worthwhile techniques for environmentalists.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010, James Bishop, Epitaph For A Desert Anarchist: The Life And Legacy Of Edward Abbey, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 132:",
          "text": "In reality, says one of his closest friends and an active monkey wrencher who prefers anonymity, “Ed was reporting what he saw around him. Truth be told, monkey wrenching is not even controversial in many areas of the Southwest.[…]",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An activist who sabotages operations perceived as harmful to the natural environment."
      ],
      "id": "en-monkey-wrencher-en-noun-eN8Qoojw",
      "links": [
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        ],
        [
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          "environment"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(slang) An activist who sabotages operations perceived as harmful to the natural environment."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "monkeywrenching"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "slang"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "monkey-wrencher"
}
{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "monkey wrench",
        "3": "-er",
        "id2": "occupation"
      },
      "expansion": "monkey wrench + -er",
      "name": "affix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From monkey wrench + -er, see monkeywrenching.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "monkey-wrenchers",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "monkey wrencher",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "monkeywrencher",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
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      "args": {},
      "expansion": "monkey-wrencher (plural monkey-wrenchers)",
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  "related": [
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        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
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        "English terms suffixed with -er (occupation)",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1989, Roderick Frazier Nash, The Rights of Nature: A History of Environmental Ethics, University of Wisconsin Press, →ISBN, page 196:",
          "text": "Howie Wolke, an Earth First! founder and frequent monkey-wrencher, thought \"conventional tactics\" and \"non-violent direct action\" were worthwhile techniques for environmentalists.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010, James Bishop, Epitaph For A Desert Anarchist: The Life And Legacy Of Edward Abbey, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 132:",
          "text": "In reality, says one of his closest friends and an active monkey wrencher who prefers anonymity, “Ed was reporting what he saw around him. Truth be told, monkey wrenching is not even controversial in many areas of the Southwest.[…]",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
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      ],
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          "activist"
        ],
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          "sabotage"
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        ],
        [
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          "natural"
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          "environment",
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        ]
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      "raw_glosses": [
        "(slang) An activist who sabotages operations perceived as harmful to the natural environment."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "slang"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "monkey-wrencher"
}

Download raw JSONL data for monkey-wrencher meaning in English (2.0kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-03-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-02-21 using wiktextract (7c21d10 and f2e72e5). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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