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

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Etymology

Origin of propeller

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

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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

It turned out it was easier to test his propeller in water than it was to repeatedly fly a drone, which led Sharrow to initially develop a less noisy boat propeller.

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026

The single propeller plane, registration HB-SXA, is made of carbon fibre to ensure lightness and strength.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

Since July, they have metastasized across Ukrainian skies—despite being more expensive than the propeller version.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

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

It had no visible propeller, though blue light similar to TimeStar’s device gleamed beneath it.

From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles

While standard drones use spinning propellers that slice through open air, creating that high-pitched buzz, Greenjets encloses spinning blades inside a pod, to muffle the sound and direct the noise away from the ground.

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

Federal agents have radar, acoustic sensors to detect the distinct noise signature of a drone’s motors and propellers and thermal and optical detection.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026

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

From Barron's ● Apr. 5, 2026

The bicycle chains clinked musically as they turned the propellers.

From "Dragonwings" by Laurence Yep

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Related Words

• screw

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