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

That includes at least $44,300 for the operating room and anesthesia administration, plus more than $50,000 for medical supplies and implants, such as screws and plates. —Katheryn Houghton, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2025

Instead, drive screws at each end of the brace directly to the joists on either side. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2025

Each of these shipments required a 45-page international carnet document for customs, Parson said, which listed everything — almost down to the individual screw — being sent over. —Alec Lewis, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025

The resulting larvae both look and act like screws, boring and twisting into the animal while feasting on its living flesh. —Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 24 Sep. 2025

No more than the width of a credit card, bed bugs can squeeze behind electrical outlets, along window frames, under loose wallpaper and even in the head of a screw. —Katie Nixon, Nashville Tennessean, 23 Sep. 2025

Handle Some sauté pans attach their handles using screws, which can wiggle loose over time. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 22 Sep. 2025

The Chargers’ defense then turned the screws the rest of the way. —Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 21 Sep. 2025

Leatherman Rev Pocket-size Multi-Tool Small but mighty, this multitool fixes everything from loose screws to stuck zippers. —Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 21 Sep. 2025

Verb

The idea is to force non-returners to scoop the ball up and screw with opponents’ blocking schemes. —Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 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

Following last season’s reunion-spoiling revelations about his father (ex-CIA operative Frank Harkness) and his father’s past (raising children to be super-soldiers), the galloping young stallion (played by Jack Lowden) hasn’t been able to screw his head on straight. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2025

Just fill it up at a stream, screw the lid back on, and squeeze. —Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 22 Sep. 2025

Plumbing in an old house requires reaching into funny crevices and screwing things the right way. —Matthew Hutson, IEEE Spectrum, 22 Sep. 2025

And also just seeing and showing to folks that this corruption shows up in the bills that are passed that are then creating loopholes for special interests while you're getting screwed. —Jason Lemon, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025

And Merteuil is the one who basically says screw everyone. —Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 18 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)