screw propeller

American  

noun

1. a rotary propelling device, as for a ship or airplane, consisting of a number of blades that radiate from a central hub and are so inclined to the plane of rotation as to tend to drive a helical path through the substance in which they rotate.

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screw propeller British  

noun

1. an early form of ship's propeller in which an Archimedes' screw is used to produce thrust by accelerating a flow of water

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Other Word Forms

• screw-propelled adjective

Etymology

Origin of screw propeller

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

The 164-foot-long warship featured a revolutionary propulsion system, with screw propellers powered by an engine placed under the ship to protect it from enemy fire.

From Washington Post

The ship sported the newest improvements, including being the first steamship to use a screw propeller and the world’s longest ship’s cannon, called the Peacemaker.

From Washington Post

The broad part of an oar; also, one of the projecting arms of a screw propeller.

From Project Gutenberg

The thread of a screw propeller is its length measured along the outer edge of the blade.

From Project Gutenberg

It goes through the water at about thirty miles an hour, having three or four screw propellers.

From Project Gutenberg