means a compact handheld device combining several tools — pliers, blades, screwdrivers, and more — folded into a single pocket-sized gadget.

from A transparent English compound of "multi-" (from Latin multus, "many") and "tool" (from Old English tōl, an implement for working). The concept long predates the word — folding combination tools date back centuries — but "multitool" as a name rose with the modern foldable-pliers gadgets of the late 20th century, when brands like Leatherman turned the idea into a category.