waterwheel
Americannoun
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a wheel or turbine turned by the weight or momentum of water and used to operate machinery.
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a wheel with buckets for raising or drawing water, as a noria.
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the paddle wheel of a steamboat.
Etymology
Origin of waterwheel
late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at water, wheel
Explanation
A waterwheel is an old-fashioned machine that harnesses the energy of falling water. The power generated by a waterwheel was once commonly used in gristmills, where grain is ground into flour. Most waterwheels are large wooden circles sitting upright like a Ferris wheel. Buckets or blades around the wheel catch the water from a river or pond, and the wheel turns as the water flows from blade to blade. The rotation of the waterwheel is what generates the energy. After the invention of turbines in the 19th century, most waterwheels became obsolete. At one time, though, they powered mines, wood pulp mills, and much more.
Vocabulary lists containing waterwheel
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The history of the building also captivated Brendan - it is an undershot watermill, which means water flows underneath the waterwheel, striking the paddles at the bottom.
From BBC ● Jan. 24, 2026
She went seeking concept art and photographs of the waterwheel, with the help of Becky Cline of the Walt Disney Archives.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2023
There is a saltwater infinity pool, a hot tub and a koi pond with a waterwheel.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 26, 2022
A waterwheel geared to a grindstone so the baker can grind flour for his bread.
From The Verge ● Jun. 18, 2022
One day she fussed because I hadn’t made her one, and so I stopped shaping the shaft for the waterwheel and went to work on the weather vane.
From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
