Sander

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈsændɚ/

Definitions

1. A power tool or person who smooths surfaces by rubbing them with abrasive material
2. A mechanical device used to smooth or polish surfaces by abrasion with sandpaper or similar material ; an individual who smooths wood or other materials by rubbing them with abrasive paper or tools
3. A tool designed to remove roughness from surfaces by grinding or sanding ; a worker responsible for making surfaces even through manual sanding techniques

Etymology: A sander is, at its simplest, a thing made of sand and a suffix: the word takes the English noun "sand" and adds "-er", the same ending found in "baker" or "driver". The "-er" suffix descends from the Latin "-arius", which denoted a person or thing connected with something, and it came into English through Old French "-ier" and Middle English "-er", so the ending is far older than the machines it now names. The noun itself is a plain formation, and the surprise lies in what it names. "Sand" in the sense of a grinding material dates back to Old English, and the "sand" that sanders use is that same gritty stuff, glued to paper or bound into a disc. A sander, in the sense of a worker, is someone who smooths wood with abrasive paper or tools, and the mechanical device carries the same name for the same job, so the word covers both the person and the machine.

Synonyms: abrasive tool, sanding machine