corkscrew

American  

[kawrk-skroo] / ˈkɔrkˌskru /

noun

1. an instrument typically consisting of a metal spiral with a sharp point at one end and a transverse handle at the other, used for drawing corks from bottles.

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adjective

1. resembling a corkscrew; helical; spiral.

verb (used with or without object)

1. to move in a spiral or zigzag course.

corkscrew British  

/ ˈkɔːkˌskruː /

noun

1. a device for drawing corks from bottles, typically consisting of a pointed metal spiral attached to a handle or screw mechanism

2. slang boxing a blow that ends with a twist of the fist, esp one intended to cut the opponent

3. (modifier) resembling a corkscrew in shape

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verb

1. to move or cause to move in a spiral or zigzag course

Etymology

Origin of corkscrew

First recorded in 1805–15; cork + screw

Example Sentences

She is a fashionable woman, with corkscrew curls coming down in front of her ears.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

It could be a long, slow descent with the lights out on an RAF jet, or a rapid, corkscrew down in a C-130 transport plane.

From BBC • Jan. 23, 2026

Once the eggs hatch, the maggots burrow into flesh in a corkscrew motion, which is how the insect got its name.

From Science Daily • Dec. 17, 2025

This time I swam the corkscrew, a crazy stroke my kids learned at summer camp, where you do a freestyle stroke, roll into a back stroke, then over again into a freestyle stroke.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 7, 2025

On it were several paring knives, a corkscrew, an oversized container of sun lotion, and a water bottle.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• crest
• flood
• influx
• movement
• outbreak
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• sign
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• upsurge