propeller

noun

pro·​pel·​ler prə-ˈpe-lər 

variants or less commonly propellor

: one that propels

especially : a device that consists of a central hub with radiating blades placed and twisted so that each forms part of a helical surface and that is used to propel a vehicle (such as a ship or airplane)

Examples of propeller in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Read Next Florida Diver died while tangled in propeller off Florida, feds say. —Mark Price, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2025

The United Kingdom's National Oceanography Centre was testing the sub, which was named Boaty McBoatface in a viral online poll in 2016, when mooring for the camera system got tangled in its propeller, the center said in a statement Monday. —N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2025

Their challenge was simple but profound: standard horizontal-axis wind turbines (the massive propellers seen in wind farms) could never capture more than 59.3% of available wind energy due to a fundamental design limitation known as the Betz limit. —Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2025

Boxes of tiny plastic propellers sit on the floor and wall shelves are stacked with carbon-fiber frames. —Eleanor Beardsley, NPR, 12 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

propel + -er entry 2

First Known Use

1780, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing propeller

• propeller-head
• screw propeller

Rhymes for propeller

• bestseller
• bookseller
• flagellar
• impeller
• lamellar
• micellar
• modeller
• ocellar
• patellar
• reseller
• scutellar
• beller

Kids Definition

propeller

noun

pro·​pel·​ler prə-ˈpel-ər 

: a device consisting of a hub fitted with blades that is made to turn rapidly by an engine and is used especially for propelling airplanes and ships