a tool is anything that you use to do something that would be harder or more annoying to do without the tool
Top-level
a tool is anything that you use to do something that would be harder or more annoying to do without the tool 13 comments
a fork is a tool for picking up small pieces of food a toothpick is like a small fork for picking up even smaller pieces of food it seems really strange that we (americans) think of a hammer as the first tool to come to mind when we think "whats a tool?" and not something like a cup or shoes cloth is a tool to make clothes which are tools to replace the hair we used to be covered with as monkeys a chair is a tool to help one to continue standing but without the weight of the body pressing into the legs as a friend responded "wear and consumption are two different things. consumption is directly transformative but wear is like decay" and I would have to agree. so toothpaste is a consumable and toothbrush is a tool @liaizon I tend to make a (similar) distinction between tools and materials (although in this case materials could either be consumed (such as car detailing products) or become part of the item being made/repaired (eg a replacement cabin air filter in a vehicle) @garlic_onions one could rethread their toothbrush bit you cant recalcify your toothpaste |
is soap a tool for washing? probably yes