propeller

American  

[pruh-pel-er] / prəˈpɛl ər /

noun

• propellers
  plural

1. a device having a revolving hub with radiating blades, for propelling an airplane, ship, etc.

2. a person or thing that propels.

3. the bladed rotor of a pump that drives the fluid axially.

4. a wind-driven, usually three-bladed, device that provides mechanical energy, as for driving an electric alternator in wind plants.

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propeller British  

/ prəˈpɛlə /

noun

1. a device having blades radiating from a central hub that is rotated to produce thrust to propel a ship, aircraft, etc

2. a person or thing that propels

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propeller Scientific  

/ prə-pĕl′ər /

1. A device consisting of a set of two or more twisted, airfoil-shaped blades mounted around a shaft and spun to provide propulsion of a vehicle through water or air, or to cause fluid flow, as in a pump. The lift generated by the spinning blades provides the force that propels the vehicle or the fluid—the lift does not have to result in an actual upward force; its direction is simply parallel to the rotating shaft.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• propellers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of propeller

First recorded in 1770–80; propel + -er ¹

Explanation

A propeller is a rounded blade that rotates in a circle, helping to move a vehicle by pushing against water or air. A speed boat's propeller moves it forward by spinning against the water. Propellers use the laws of physics to propel, or drive forward, an aircraft or a boat. The basic structure of a propeller is a spinning or rotating shaft with wide, curved blades attached to it. The very simplest propellers were first used in ancient Greece, where the inventor Archimedes invented a "screw propeller" that moved water for irrigating crops.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

propeller propellers

That alarm would be triggered by a potential engine failure, causing low propeller rotation, or a problem with the hydraulic system, said Jack Cress, a former helicopter pilot for the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

Western military-tech companies that have been developing interceptors for propeller drones are scrambling to create faster models.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

We’d seen nearly every stage of production — from “grass to glass,” as McAfee called it — when he parked his truck next to the hangar that houses his Cessna 210 Centurion propeller plane.

From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026

They also said its injuries indicated it had contact with a ship propeller and a fishing net.

From BBC ● Apr. 16, 2026

The metal propeller blades dripped water into the bay, like sullen raindrops.

From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt

They have a shorter range though than drones driven by propellers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

His nephew Griffin Bremner said he felt the plane stutter and the propellers slow down, then his uncle turned to him and said, “Griffin, we’re cooked!”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

In the footage, two charred propellers and engines can be clearly seen.

From Barron's ● Apr. 5, 2026

They are also the first large CalMac ships fitted with Voith Schneider propulsor units - spinning blades that hang vertically from a drum - rather than traditional screw propellers.

From BBC ● Mar. 30, 2026

More of those tiny creatures kept joining the fight, and now a glowing sludge was thickening and hardening around the propellers.

From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown

Related Words

• screw