Tightening a Bolt Is a Measured Operation
To tighten is to make something tighter. Engineers do it to a number, and the phrase about belts is about budgets.
To tighten is to make something firmer or more secure. Engineering treats it as a measurement, not a feeling: bolts are tightened to a specified *torque*, because too loose fails and too tight strips the thread or snaps the bolt. Households use the figurative version, *tightening the belt*, which means spending less.
- To make firmer. *Tighten the screws.*
- To make stricter. *Tighten the rules.*
- To become tense. *His grip tightened.*
- Tighten your belt — spend less. *Everyone is tightening their belts.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | tighten | Tighten the strap. |
| Past | tightened | Tightened up. |
| Adjective | tight | A tight fit. |
| Adverb | tightly | Tightly packed. |
| Related | torque | Torque settings. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Tighten the wheel nuts to 110 newton metres.To a specification.
- The government tightened the rules.Made them stricter.
- Households are tightening their belts.Economising.
Fastening terms
- Torque — rotational force, measured in newton metres
- Torque wrench — a tool that clicks at a set value
- Thread — the spiral groove that does the holding
- Stripping — destroying a thread by overtightening
- Thread lock — adhesive to stop a fastener working loose
From *tight*, from Old Norse *thettr*, watertight or dense, plus the verb ending *-en* — the same ending as in *harden*, *soften* and *strengthen*.
Why do bolts have torque settings?
Because the correct clamping force depends on the tension in the bolt. Too little lets it loosen; too much can stretch or break it.
Where does *tighten your belt* come from?
From the literal effect of losing weight through hunger, which requires a belt to be pulled in a notch.