Washer (hardware)

A washer is a small piece of metal or plastic that you put between a nut and a bolt or screw. It's kind of like a little cushion. When you tighten the nut or screw, the washer gets squished and helps distribute the pressure evenly so that the object you're putting together stays secure. Without a washer, the nut or screw could dig into the object, making it weak or even damaging it. Think of it like a sandwich: the nut or screw is the bread, the washer is the lettuce or tomato in the middle, and the object is the meat. So when you make a sandwich, you put lettuce or tomato in the middle to hold everything together and make it taste better, just like a washer holds everything together and makes it stronger.