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paddle wheel

American  

noun

  1. a wheel for propelling a ship, having a number of paddles entering the water more or less perpendicularly.


paddle wheel British  

noun

  1. a large wheel fitted with paddles, turned by an engine to propel a vessel on the water

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of paddle wheel

First recorded in 1675–85