A self-aligning nut, also known as a spherical nut or leveling nut, is a type of nut that is used in applications where the fastener is not perpendicular to the surface the nut anchors to. It achieves this action by using a flanged nut inside a specially shaped dished out washer. They are commonly used in the aerospace industry. If this nut were not used the object would have to be spot faced perpendicular to the fastener. A nut is a type of hardware fastener with a threaded hole. Nuts are almost always used opposite a mating bolt to fasten a stack of parts together. The two partners are kept together by a combination of their threads' friction, a slight stretch of the bolt, and compression of the parts. In applications where vibration or rotation may work a nut loose, various locking mechanisms may be employed: Adhesives, safety pins or lockwire, nylon inserts, or slightly oval-shaped threads.