paddle wheel

noun

: a wheel with paddles around its circumference used to propel a boat

Examples of paddle wheel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Their paddle wheels turned quietly in the dark as the vessels advanced toward St. Helena Sound. Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 24 June 2024 The Catawba Queen is a replica Mississippi River paddle wheel boat that seats 149 passengers. Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 16 Apr. 2024 The rear of the boat, where the Dixie II has its paddle wheel, is the stern, and that’s why she may be called a stern-wheeler. Reed Parsell, Sacramento Bee, 25 Jan. 2024 Built in Delaware in 1888, St. Lucie was a 122-foot-long stern paddle wheel steamship with 14 staterooms and 3 decks. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Dec. 2023 See all Example Sentences for paddle wheel 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'paddle wheel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1685, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of paddle wheel was in 1685

Dictionary Entries Near paddle wheel

Cite this Entry

“Paddle wheel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paddle%20wheel. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

paddle wheel

noun
: a wheel with boards around its outer edge used to move a vessel

More from Merriam-Webster on paddle wheel

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