Dictionary.com

waterwheel

or wa·ter wheel

[ waw-ter-hweel, -weel, wot-er- ]
/ ˈwɔ tərˌʰwil, -ˌwil, ˈwɒt ər- /

noun

a wheel or turbine turned by the weight or momentum of water and used to operate machinery.
a wheel with buckets for raising or drawing water, as a noria.
the paddle wheel of a steamboat.

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Origin of waterwheel

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at water, wheel

Words nearby waterwheel

waterward, Water, water everywhere, / Nor any drop to drink, water wave, waterway, waterweed, waterwheel, water willow, water wings, water witch, water witching, waterworks
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for waterwheel

British Dictionary definitions for waterwheel

water wheel

noun

a simple water-driven turbine consisting of a wheel having vanes set axially across its rim, used to drive machinery
a wheel with buckets attached to its rim for raising water from a stream, pond, etc
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012