screw

¹screw

noun \ˈskrü\

Definition of SCREW

1

a : a simple machine of the inclined plane type consisting of a spirally grooved solid cylinder and a correspondingly grooved hollow cylinder into which it fits

b : a nail-shaped or rod-shaped piece with a spiral groove and a slotted or recessed head designed to be inserted into material by rotating (as with a screwdriver) and used for fastening pieces of solid material together

2

a : a screwlike form : spiral

b : a turn of a screw; also : a twist like the turn of a screw

c : a screwlike device (as a corkscrew)

3

: a worn-out horse

4

chiefly British : a small packet (as of tobacco)

5

: a prison guard

6

: a person who bargains shrewdly; also : skinflint

7

: a propeller especially of a ship

8

a : thumbscrew 1

b : pressure or punitive measures intended to coerce —used chiefly in the phrase put the screws on or put the screws to

9

a usually vulgar : an act of sexual intercourse

b usually vulgar : a partner in sexual intercourse

— screw·like \-ˌlīk\ adjective

— have a screw loose

: to be mentally unbalanced

Origin of SCREW

Middle English scrue, from Middle French escroe female screw, nut, from Medieval Latin scrofa, from Latin, sow

First Known Use: 15th century

Other Hardware Terms

adze, auger, awl, chock, ferrule, punch, tang

Rhymes with SCREW

blue, boo, brew, chew, clew, clue, coo, coup, crew, cue, dew, do, doux, due, ewe, few, flu, flue, fou, glue, gnu, goo, hew, hue, Jew, Koo, lieu, loo, mew, moo, moue, mu, new, nu, ooh, pew, phew, pooh, q, queue, roux, rue, shoe, shoo, shrew, Sioux, skew, slew, slough, slue, smew, sou, sous, spew, sprue, stew, strew, sue, Sue, thew, through, to, too, true, two, u, view, whew, who, woo, xu, yew, you, zoo

²screw

verb

Definition of SCREW

transitive verb

1

a (1) : to attach, fasten, or close by means of a screw (2) : to unite or separate by means of a screw or a twisting motion (3) : to press tightly in a device (as a vise) operated by a screw (4) : to operate, tighten, or adjust by means of a screw (5) : to torture by means of a thumbscrew

b : to cause to rotate spirally about an axis

2

a (1) : to twist into strained configurations : contort <screwed up his face> (2) : squint (3) : crumple

b : to furnish with a spiral groove or ridge : thread

3

: to increase the intensity, quantity, or capability of <trying to screw up courage to confess — Will Scott>

4

a (1) : to mistreat or exploit through extortion, trickery, or unfair actions; especially : to deprive of or cheat out of something due or expected (2) : to treat so as to bring about injury or loss (as to a person's reputation) <use the available Federal machinery to screw our political enemies — J. W. Dean III> —often used as a generalized curse <screw you!>

b : to extract by pressure or threat

5

usually vulgar : to copulate with

intransitive verb

1

: to rotate like or as a screw

2

: to turn or move with a twisting or writhing motion

3

usually vulgar : copulate

— screw·er noun

Examples of SCREW

1. I screwed the boards together.
2. The cupboards are screwed to the wall.
3. Screw the cap on tight.
4. Screw the light bulb into the fixture.
5. The lid screws onto the jar.
6. The light bulb screws right in.

First Known Use of SCREW

1605

Related to SCREW

Synonyms

deform, distort, misshape, contort, squinch, torture, warp

Related Words

deface, disfigure; wrench, wrest, wring; coil, curl, loop, spiral, twine, wind, wreathe

Near Antonyms

straighten, unbend, uncurl

screw

noun \ˈskrü\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of SCREW

: a threaded device used in bone surgery for fixation of parts (as fragments of fractured bones)

screw

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

In machine construction, a usually circular cylindrical member with a continuous spiral rib or thread, used either as a fastener or as a force and motion modifier. Various types of screws are used to clamp machine parts together. Wood screws are made in a wide variety of diameters and lengths; when using wood screws, small starting holes called pilot holes are often drilled first to avoid splitting the wood. Screws that modify force and motion are known as power screws. The screw is considered one of the five simple machines. See also wedge.