Spăn'ner, n.

n. 1. One who spans. 2. The lock of a fusee or carbine; also, the fusee itself. [Obs.] 3. An iron instrument used in the manner of a lever to tighten the nuts upon screws; also, a hose-wrench. 4. (pl.) A contrivance in some of the earlier steam-engines for moving the valves for the alternate admission and shutting off of the steam.