screw

1 of 2

noun

ˈskrü 

plural screws

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 form that resembles a screw : spiral

b

: a turn of a screw

also : a twist like the turn of a screw

c

: a device (such as a corkscrew) that resembles a screw

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 sense 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

vulgar : an act of sexual intercourse

b

vulgar : a partner in sexual intercourse

screwlike

ˈskrü-ˌlīk 

adjective

screw

2 of 2

verb

screwed; screwing; screws

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 (such 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

If one can screw up the courage to ask, word-of-mouth recommendations are very good.

—Gregory Simon, quoted in Consumer Reports

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

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

vulgar : copulate

screwer noun

Phrases

have a screw loose also have a loose screw

informal

: to be mentally unsound

He'll drive you crazy if you're not careful. He's got a screw loose and you know it.

—Jayne Anne Phillips

Synonyms of screw

Verb

• distort
• deform
• contort
• curl

Examples of screw in a Sentence

Verb

I screwed the boards together.

The cupboards are screwed to the wall.

Screw the cap on tight.

Screw the light bulb into the fixture.

The lid screws onto the jar.

The light bulb screws right in.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In the years that followed, whenever a big-time screw-up happened, someone would swoop in and attribute it to groupthink. —David Merritt Johns, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2025

The Air Force's largest military cargo aircraft was used to lift an amphibious screw tractor to the site to help with ice removal. —Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025

The system, developed within the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Programmable Materials CPM, can hold four stable positions without motors or multiple interconnected parts, a shift away from conventional prosthetic designs that rely on screws, hinges, and extensive assembly. —Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2025

Now in its fifth season, the Apple TV drama follows a gang of screw-up spies who are nobody’s idea of the Avengers, led by Gary Oldman’s irascible, flatulent Jackson Lamb. —Alison Herman, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025

One loose bolt or misplaced screw is enough to grind the entire contraption to a halt. —Robert Mays, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025

Cops have arrested a 28-year-old Bronx man following a brutal explosion of violence, accusing him of attacking his wife and then viciously stabbing his 12-year-old stepdaughter before hammering a screw through her skull, police and sources said Friday. —Thomas Tracy, Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2025

There wasn't a screw out of joint. —Time Staff, Time, 23 Oct. 2025

This is an adjustable graphics-card brace, and its screw tightens the part that clamps it to the slide. —PC Magazine, 21 Oct. 2025

Verb

And, as usual, the people with the fewest resources will get screwed. —Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Time, 4 Nov. 2025

No matter what Robert does, he’s totally screwed. —Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2025

This is an innocent guy who’s getting completely screwed, to use some legal vernacular, in terms of his career. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2025

Whatever the cause, Denton plays Guy as a mid-tier Vampire Diaries protagonist, never evincing a range beyond just sort of screwing his face up a bit when he’s supposed to be upset. —Lily Osler, Vulture, 27 Oct. 2025

The Broncos got screwed on an interference call that placed the ball on the 1-yard line. —Troy Renck, Denver Post, 20 Oct. 2025

And while the screw-on cap is comprised of BPA-free, durable, and food-safe polypropylene, Brandon recommends always hand-washing the tops and not leaving them out in the sun, as UV light can break down even the best plastics. —Clay Abney, Travel + Leisure, 20 Oct. 2025

Simply unscrew the base and fill with water, then heap the coffee into the filter basket and screw on the top. —Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 10 Oct. 2025

This screwed a lot of people over. —Hadley Hitson, Nashville Tennessean, 10 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1597, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a(1)

Phrases Containing screw

• Allen screw
• Phillips-head screw
• Phillips screw
• screw around
• screw cap/top
• screw eye
• screw it
• screw jack
• screw one's face/eyes up
• screw pine
• screw propeller
• screw the pooch
• screw thread
• screw-top
• screw up
• screw up one's face/eyes
• screw up the/one's courage

Rhymes for screw

• blew
• blue
• boo
• brew
• chew
• chou
• clue
• coo
• coup
• crew
• cue
• dew

Kids Definition

screw

1 of 2 noun

ˈskrü 

1

a

: a simple machine consisting of a solid cylinder with a winding groove around it and a correspondingly grooved hollow cylinder into which it fits

b

: a nail-shaped or rod-shaped metal piece with a winding groove used for fastening solid pieces together

2

a

: something having the shape of a screw : spiral

b

: the act of screwing tight : twist

c

: a screw-shaped device (as a corkscrew)

3

: propeller

screwlike

-ˌlīk 

adjective

screw

2 of 2 verb

1

a

: to attach, fasten, or close with a screw

b

: to operate, tighten, or adjust with a screw

c

: to turn or twist on a screwlike thread

2

: to twist out of shape

a face screwed up in pain

3

: to increase in amount

trying to screw up enough nerve to ask

screwer noun

Medical Definition

screw

noun

ˈskrü 

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