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 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 • Mar. 2, 2018

A native of Sweden, Mr. Ericsson moved to London and produced one innovation after another, including a screw propeller to replace the paddle wheel on the steam-powered warship.

From New York Times • Aug. 8, 2011

The United States Navy commissioned a warship, the Princeton, that proved to be one of the most advanced in the world, thanks to a screw propeller and other innovations by Mr. Ericsson.

From New York Times • Aug. 8, 2011

Since well before 1800, various mechanisms have been developed to propel a boat, including the paddlewheel, adapted from the waterwheel then in common use, and the screw propeller.

From Time Magazine Archive

The screw propeller is driven by compressed air.

From The Story of Great Inventions by Burns, Elmer Ellsworth