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

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

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

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

Tomahawk missiles One way the White House is turning the screws on Moscow is by mooting the possibility of supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. —Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2025

The NetZero by 2050 mandate is twisting the wrist that’s turning the screw. —Paul Craney, Boston Herald, 17 Oct. 2025

The robotic hand is seen grasping an M5 screw, picking up an iPhone, and opening a soda can with precision. —Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025

The Ukrainian leader has also repeatedly called for its Western partners to add more sanctions on Russia and its major economic and strategic partners, such as China and India, to turn the screw on Moscow. —Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025

Pull out a screw, then use the countersink bit to drill out the hole. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 13 Oct. 2025

The bundle also includes two extra enduro batteries, a curved adhesive mount, a mounting buckle + thumb screw, USB-C charging cable, and a waterproof shutter remote. —Will Porter, Outside, 7 Oct. 2025

Skelly uses screws in a few places to prevent it from falling apart. —PC Magazine, 3 Oct. 2025

Verb

Gabriel has royally screwed the pooch. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 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

Both have magnets screwed to one end for attaching the corresponding front or top panel, and both are filled with a multi-spaced bracket for installing 120mm to 200mm fans. —Thomas Soderstrom, PC Magazine, 4 Oct. 2025

And screw Dalot for that bad pass. —Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025

Having obvious trouble is Lesley, who put a layer of shortbread under her flapjack, which screwed up the cooking time, which screwed up the decorating time, which left Lesley, well, screwed. —Brian Moylan, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025

An employee’s open drink, screw top water bottle and food were stored on the prep tables next to food and surfaces coming in contact with food. —Sacbee.com, 26 Sep. 2025

And then everyone else beyond those 35 million people also get screwed, because when all of that money gets pulled out of the health care system, prices go up for everyone, hospitals close. —Nik Popli, Time, 26 Sep. 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)