A string trimmer, also called a weed eater, weed whacker, weedwacker, weed whip, line trimmer, brush cutter, whipper snipper (in Australia, Canada, and South Africa) or strimmer (in the UK and Ireland), is a garden tool for cutting grass, small weeds, and groundcover. It uses a whirling monofilament line instead of a blade, which protrudes from a rotating spindle at the end of a long shaft topped by a gasoline engine or electric motor. String trimmers are commonly used for cutting low foliage near obstacles or on steep or irregular terrain.