screw nail

noun

1. drive screw.

Word History and Origins

Origin of screw nail¹

First recorded in 1650–60

Example Sentences

The screw on being put into revolution by the engine, preserves a spiral path in the water, in which it draws itself forward in the same way as a screw nail does when turned round in a piece of wood, whereas the paddle wheel more resembles the action of a cog wheel working in a rack.

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Q.--But the screw of a steam vessel has no resemblance to a screw nail?

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A.--It has in fact a very close resemblance if you suppose only a very short piece of the screw nail to be employed, and if you suppose, moreover, the thread of the screw to be cut nearly into the centre to prevent the wood from stripping.

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In Scottish folk-lore a screw nail is fixed into the footprint of the person who is to be injured.

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