an early form of ship's propeller in which an Archimedes' screw is used to produce thrust by accelerating a flow of water
Derived forms
screw-propelled (ˈscrew-proˈpelled)
adjective
screw propeller in American English
see propeller
screw propeller in American English
noun
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
Derived forms
screw-propelled
adjective
Word origin
[1830–40]This word is first recorded in the period 1830–40. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: format, isometric, paraffin, showcase, stroboscope