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