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screwdriver
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Screwdrivers (Top) Offset screwdriver; (middle) parts of a screwdriver; (bottom) Phillips-head screwdriver hand tools
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Screwdrivers (Top) Offset screwdriver; (middle) parts of a screwdriver; (bottom) Phillips-head screwdriver
Screwdrivers (Top) Offset screwdriver; (middle) parts of a screwdriver; (bottom) Phillips-head screwdriver

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screwdriver, tool, usually hand-operated, for turning screws with slotted heads. For screws with one straight diametral slot cut across the head, standard screwdrivers with flat blade tips and in a variety of sizes are used. Special screws with cross-shaped slots in their heads require a special screwdriver with a blade tip that fits the slots. The most common special screw is the Phillips head (Phillips Screw) as shown in the Figure.

The screwdriver shank is made of tough steel, and the tip is hardened to minimize wear. The handle is made of wood, metal, or plastic.

If a screw cannot be reached with a straight-shank screwdriver, an offset screwdriver is used; this tool has no handle but has a shank with a right-angle bend at both ends. One blade tip is in line with the shank, and the other is at right angles to the shank.

hand tools
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hand tool: Screwdrivers and wrenches

Screwdriver bits can be clamped in a brace, an automatic handle that rotates on being pushed toward the screwhead, or a gear reduction drive in a power drill.