A toolshed is a small building, usually in someone's backyard, where tools and equipment are stored. Picture a wooden structure about the size of a large closet or small bedroom, with shelves holding hammers, saws, screwdrivers, rakes, shovels, and gardening supplies. A typical toolshed might also store a lawnmower, paint cans, bags of fertilizer, or a workbench for small projects.

The word combines tool and shed. A shed is any simple building used for storage or shelter, and while some sheds store bicycles or firewood, a toolshed specifically houses the equipment people need for building, fixing, and maintaining things around their property.

People also use “toolshed” as a metaphor for someone's collection of skills or resources. A baseball announcer might say a pitcher has “a lot in his toolshed” when describing all the different pitches he can throw: fastballs, curveballs, and changeups. A skilled carpenter has “a well-stocked toolshed” of techniques for joining wood. The image works because, just like a real toolshed, you reach for different tools depending on what problem you're trying to solve.