Word Study
screw
CIDE DICTIONARY
screw, n. [OE. scrue, OF. escroue, escroe, female screw, F. écrou, L. scrobis a ditch, trench, in LL., the hole made by swine in rooting; cf. D. schroef a screw, G. schraube, Icel. skr.].
- A cylinder, or a cylindrical perforation, having a continuous rib, called the thread, winding round it spirally at a constant inclination, so as to leave a continuous spiral groove between one turn and the next, -- used chiefly for producing, when revolved, motion or pressure in the direction of its axis, by the sliding of the threads of the cylinder in the grooves between the threads of the perforation adapted to it, the former being distinguished as the external, or male screw, or, more usually the screw; the latter as the internal, or female screw, or, more usually, the nut. [1913 Webster]" The screw, as a mechanical power, is a modification of the inclined plane, and may be regarded as a right-angled triangle wrapped round a cylinder, the hypotenuse of the marking the spiral thread of the screw, its base equaling the circumference of the cylinder, and its height the pitch of the thread." [1913 Webster]
- Specifically, a kind of nail with a spiral thread and a head with a nick to receive the end of the screw-driver. Screws are much used to hold together pieces of wood or to fasten something; -- called also
wood screws , andscrew nails . See alsoScrew bolt , below. [1913 Webster] - Anything shaped or acting like a screw; esp., a form of wheel for propelling steam vessels. It is placed at the stern, and furnished with blades having helicoidal surfaces to act against the water in the manner of a screw. See
Screw propeller , below. [1913 Webster] - A steam vesel propelled by a screw instead of wheels; a screw steamer; a propeller. [1913 Webster]
- An extortioner; a sharp bargainer; a skinflint; a niggard. Thackeray. [1913 Webster]
- An instructor who examines with great or unnecessary severity; also, a searching or strict examination of a student by an instructor. [1913 Webster]
- A small packet of tobacco. Mayhew. [1913 Webster]
- An unsound or worn-out horse, useful as a hack, and commonly of good appearance. Ld. Lytton. [1913 Webster]
- A straight line in space with which a definite linear magnitude termed the pitch is associated (cf. 5th Pitch, 10
(b) ). It is used to express the displacement of a rigid body, which may always be made to consist of a rotation about an axis combined with a translation parallel to that axis. [1913 Webster] - An amphipod crustacean; as, the skeleton screw (
Caprella ). SeeSand screw , under Sand. [1913 Webster]
screw, v. t.
- To turn, as a screw; to apply a screw to; to press, fasten, or make firm, by means of a screw or screws; as, to screw a lock on a door; to screw a press. [1913 Webster]
- To force; to squeeze; to press, as by screws. [1913 Webster]"But screw your courage to the sticking place,
And we'll not fail." [1913 Webster] - Hence: To practice extortion upon; to oppress by unreasonable or extortionate exactions. [1913 Webster]"Our country landlords, by unmeasurable screwing and racking their tenants, have already reduced the miserable people to a worse condition than the peasants in France." [1913 Webster]
- To twist; to distort; as, to screw his visage. [1913 Webster]"He screwed his face into a hardened smile." [1913 Webster]
- To examine rigidly, as a student; to subject to a severe examination. [1913 Webster]
screw, v. i.
- To use violent mans in making exactions; to be oppressive or exacting. Howitt. [1913 Webster]
- To turn one's self uneasily with a twisting motion; as, he screws about in his chair. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
screw, n. & v.
--n.
1 a thin cylinder or cone with a spiral ridge or thread running round the outside (male screw) or the inside (female screw).
2 (in full wood-screw) a metal male screw with a slotted head and a sharp point for fastening things, esp. in carpentry, by being rotated to form a thread in wood etc.
3 (in full screw-bolt) a metal male screw with a blunt end on which a nut is threaded to bolt things together.
4 a wooden or metal straight screw used to exert pressure.
5 (in sing. or pl.) an instrument of torture acting in this way.
6 (in full screw-propeller) a form of propeller with twisted blades acting like a screw on the water or air.
7 one turn of a screw.
8 (foll. by of) Brit. a small twisted-up paper (of tobacco etc.).
9 Brit. (in billiards etc.) an oblique curling motion of the ball.
10 sl. a prison warder.
11 Brit. sl. an amount of salary or wages.
12 coarse sl. a an act of sexual intercourse. b a partner in this.
--n.
1 a thin cylinder or cone with a spiral ridge or thread running round the outside (male screw) or the inside (female screw).
2 (in full wood-screw) a metal male screw with a slotted head and a sharp point for fastening things, esp. in carpentry, by being rotated to form a thread in wood etc.
3 (in full screw-bolt) a metal male screw with a blunt end on which a nut is threaded to bolt things together.
4 a wooden or metal straight screw used to exert pressure.
5 (in sing. or pl.) an instrument of torture acting in this way.
6 (in full screw-propeller) a form of propeller with twisted blades acting like a screw on the water or air.
7 one turn of a screw.
8 (foll. by of) Brit. a small twisted-up paper (of tobacco etc.).
9 Brit. (in billiards etc.) an oblique curling motion of the ball.
10 sl. a prison warder.
11 Brit. sl. an amount of salary or wages.
12 coarse sl. a an act of sexual intercourse. b a partner in this.
Idiom
have one's head screwed on the right way colloq. have common sense. have a screw loose colloq. be slightly crazy. put the screws on colloq. exert pressure, esp. to extort or intimidate. screw cap = screw top. screw-coupling a female screw with threads at both ends for joining lengths of pipes or rods. screw eye a screw with a loop for passing cord etc. through instead of a slotted head. screw gear an endless screw with a cog-wheel or pinion. screw hook a hook to hang things on, with a screw point for fastening it. screw-jack a vehicle jack (see JACK(1)) worked by a screw device. screw pine any plant of the genus Pandanus, with its leaves arranged spirally and resembling those of a pineapple. screw-plate a steel plate with threaded holes for making male screws. screw-tap a tool for making female screws. screw top (also (with hyphen) attrib.) a cap or lid that can be screwed on to a bottle, jar, etc. screw up
1 contract or contort (one's face etc.).
2 contract and crush into a tight mass (a piece of paper etc.).
3 summon up (one's courage etc.).
4 sl. a bungle or mismanage. b spoil or ruin (an event, opportunity, etc.). screw-up n. sl. a bungle, muddle, or mess. screw valve a stopcock opened and shut by a screw.
1 contract or contort (one's face etc.).
2 contract and crush into a tight mass (a piece of paper etc.).
3 summon up (one's courage etc.).
4 sl. a bungle or mismanage. b spoil or ruin (an event, opportunity, etc.). screw-up n. sl. a bungle, muddle, or mess. screw valve a stopcock opened and shut by a screw.
Usage
Usually considered a taboo use.
8 intr. (of a rolling ball, or of a person etc.) take a curling course; swerve.
9 intr. (often foll. by up) make tenser or more efficient.
8 intr. (of a rolling ball, or of a person etc.) take a curling course; swerve.
9 intr. (often foll. by up) make tenser or more efficient.
Derivative
screwable adj. screwer n.
Etymology
ME f. OF escroue female screw, nut, f. L scrofa sow
THESAURUS
screw
Procrustean bed, airscrew, anamorphism, anamorphosis, apply pressure, articulate, ask, ask for, asymmetry, badger, ball, batten, batten down, be intimate, beat, bed of Procrustes, begrudge, beguile of, bend, bilk, blackmail, bleed, bleed white, bollix up, bolt, boot, botch, buckle, bugger up, bull, bunco, bungle, burn, butt, button, call for, call up, call upon, challenge, cheat, chisel, chouse, chouse out of, circle, circulate, circumrotate, circumvolute, cirrus, claim, clamor for, clasp, cleat, clip, coerce, cog, cog the dice, cohabit, coil, come together, commandant, commit adultery, compel, con, constrain, contort, contortion, copulate, corkscrew, couple, cover, cozen, crank, crib, crimp, crimple, crinkle, crook, crookedness, crumple, cry for, curl, curlicue, custodian, deform, defraud, demand, destroy, detorsion, deviation, diddle, disproportion, distort, distortion, do, do in, do out of, dovetail, draw on, driver, euchre, evolute, exact, exploit, extort, famish, fan, finagle, flam, flee, fleece, flimflam, fly, fob, force, force from, fornicate, frig, fuck, fuck up, fudge, gaoler, gnarl, go around, go round, gouge, governor, grudge, guard, guardian, gull, gyp, gyrate, gyre, hasp, have, have sex, have sexual relations, helix, hinge, hitch, hocus, hocus-pocus, hold up, hook, imbalance, impeller, impose, increase, indent, influence, insist, intort, involute, iron heel, irregularity, issue an ultimatum, jailer, jam, joint, keeper, kink, knot, lank, latch, lay, levy, levy blackmail, lie with, live upon nothing, lock, lopsidedness, louse up, make a demand, make it with, make love, make off, make out, mate, meander, mishandle, mismanage, miter, mortise, mount, muddle, mulct, nail, oblige, order, order up, overcharge, overprice, overtax, pack the deal, paddle wheel, peg, pigeon, pin, pinch, pinch pennies, pirouette, piston, pivot, place an order, practice fraud upon, press, pressure, principal keeper, prison guard, profiteer, prop, propellant, propeller, propulsor, pry loose from, put in requisition, quirk, rabbet, rack, raise, ream, rend, rend from, require, requisition, revolve, rimple, ringlet, rip, rip from, rivet, roll, rook, rotate, rotor, round, ruckle, ruin, rumple, run, scallop, scam, scamp, scamper, scant, scarf, scarpines, scoot, scrape, screw propeller, screw up, screwing, scrimp, scroll, scrunch, sell gold bricks, serpentine, serve, service, sew, sexual intercourse, shake down, shave, shortchange, skedaddle, skewer, skimp, skin, skip, sleep with, slink, snake, snap, snatch from, soak, spare, spin, spiral, spring, squeeze, stack the cards, staple, starve, stick, sting, stint, stitch, strain, stretch, summon, surcharge, swindle, swing, swirl, swivel, tack, take, take a dive, tap, tear from, tendril, thimblerig, throw a fight, thumbscrew, toggle, torsion, tortuosity, turbine, turn, turn a pirouette, turn around, turn awry, turn round, turnkey, twin screws, twine, twirl, twist, twist and turn, unsymmetry, victimize, volute, volution, vortex, wamble, warden, warder, warn, warp, wedge, wheel, whirl, whorl, wind, worm, wrench, wrench from, wrest, wring, wring from, wrinkle, writhe, zipperROGET THESAURUS
screw
Instrument
N instrument, machinery, mechanism, engineering, instrument, organ, tool, implement, utensil, machine, engine, lathe, gin, mill, air engine, caloric engine, heat engine, gear, tackle, tackling, rig, rigging, apparatus, appliances, plant, materiel, harness, trappings, fittings, accouterments, barde, equipment, equipmentage, appointments, furniture, upholstery, chattels, paraphernalia, mechanical powers, lever, leverage, mechanical advantage, crow, crowbar, handspike, gavelock, jemmy, jimmy, arm, limb, wing, oar, paddle, pulley, wheel and axle, wheelwork, clockwork, wheels within wheels, pinion, crank, winch, cam, pedal, capstan, wheel, inclined plane, wedge, screw, spring, mainspring, can hook, glut, heald, heddle, jenny, parbuckle, sprag, water wheel, handle, hilt, haft, shaft, heft, shank, blade, trigger, tiller, helm, treadle, key, turnscrew, screwdriver, knocker, hammer, edge tool, borer, vice, teeth, nail, rope, peg, support, spoon, arms, oar, cardiograph, recapper, snowplow, tenpenny, votograph, instrumental, mechanical, machinal, brachial.Junction
VB join, unite, conjoin, connect, associate, put together, lay together, clap together, hang together, lump together, hold together, piece together, tack together, fix together, bind up together together, embody, reembody, roll into one, attach, fix, affix, saddle on, fasten, bind, secure, clinch, twist, make fast, tie, pinion, string, strap, sew, lace, tat, stitch, tack, knit, button, buckle, hitch, lash, truss, bandage, braid, splice, swathe, gird, tether, moor, picket, harness, chain, fetter, lock, latch, belay, brace, hook, grapple, leash, couple, accouple, link, yoke, bracket, marry, bridge over, span, braze, pin, nail, bolt, hasp, clasp, clamp, crimp, screw, rivet, impact, solder, set, weld together, fuse together, wedge, rabbet, mortise, miter, jam, dovetail, enchase, graft, ingraft, inosculate, entwine, intwine, interlink, interlace, intertwine, intertwist, interweave, entangle, twine round, belay, tighten, trice up, screw up, be joined, hang together, hold together, cohere.Connection
N connection, vinculum, link, connective, connection, junction, bond of union, copula, hyphen, intermedium, bracket, bridge, stepping-stone, isthmus, bond, tendon, tendril, fiber, cord, cordage, riband, ribbon, rope, guy, cable, line, halser, hawser, painter, moorings, wire, chain, string, fastener, fastening, tie, ligament, ligature, strap, tackle, rigging, standing rigging, running rigging, traces, harness, yoke, band ribband, bandage, brace, roller, fillet, inkle, with, withe, withy, thong, braid, girder, tiebeam, girth, girdle, cestus, garter, halter, noose, lasso, surcingle, knot, running knot, cabestro, cinch, lariat, legadero, oxreim, suspenders, pin, corking pin, nail, brad, tack, skewer, staple, corrugated fastener, clamp, U-clamp, C-clamp, cramp, cramp iron, ratchet, detent, larigo, pawl, terret, treenail, screw, button, buckle, clasp, hasp, hinge, hank, catch, latch, bolt, latchet, tag, tooth, hook, hook and eye, lock, holdfast, padlock, rivet, anchor, grappling iron, trennel, stake, post, cement, glue, gum, paste, size, wafer, solder, lute, putty, birdlime, mortar, stucco, plaster, grout, viscum, shackle, rein, prop.Parsimony
N parsimony, parcity, parsimoniousness, stinginess, stint, illiberality, tenacity, avarice, greed, miser, niggard, churl, screw, skinflint, crib, codger, muckworm, scrimp, lickpenny, hunks, curmudgeon, Harpagon, harpy, extortioner, Jew, usurer, Hessian, pinch fist, pinch penny, parsimonious, penurious, stingy, miserly, mean, shabby, peddling, scrubby, penny wise, near, niggardly, close, fast handed, close handed, strait handed, close fisted, hard fisted, tight fisted, tight, sparing, chary, grudging, griping, illiberal, ungenerous, churlish, hidebound, sordid, mercenary, venal, covetous, usurious, avaricious, greedy, extortionate, rapacious, with a sparing hand, desunt inopioe multa avaritiae omnia, hoards after hoards his rising raptures fill, the unsunn'd heaps of miser's treasures.VB be parsimonious, grudge, begrudge, stint, pinch, gripe, screw, dole out, hold back, withhold, starve, famish, live upon nothing, skin a flint, drive a bargain, drive a hard bargain, cheapen, beat down, stop one hole in a sieve, have an itching palm, grasp, grab.
Navigation
N navigation, aquatics, boating, yachting, ship, oar, paddle, screw, sail, canvas, aileron, natation, swimming, fin, flipper, fish's tail, aerostation, aerostatics, aeronautics, balloonery, balloon, ballooning, aviation, airmanship, flying, flight, volitation, wing, pinion, rocketry, space travel, astronautics, orbital mechanics, orbiting, voyage, sail, cruise, passage, circumnavigation, periplus, headway, sternway, leeway, fairway, mariner, flight, trip, shuttle, run, airlift, sailing, volant, aerostatic, seafaring, nautical, maritime, naval, seagoing, coasting, afloat, navigable, aerial, aeronautic, grallatory, under way, under sail, under canvas, under steam, on the wing, in flight, in orbit, bon voyage, spread the thin oar and catch the driving gale.Propulsion
N propulsion, projection, propelment, vis a tergo, force from behind, push, shove, ejaculate, ejection, throw, fling, toss, shot, discharge, shy, launch, release, projectiles, ballistics, archery, propeller, screw, twin screws, turbine, jet engine, missile, projectile, ball, discus, quoit, brickbat, shot, arrow, gun, ballista, countdown, windup, shooter, shot, archer, toxophilite, bowman, rifleman, marksman, good shot, crack shot, sharpshooter, propelled, propelling, propulsive, projectile.Rotation
N rotation, revolution, spinning, gyration, turning about an axis, turning aound an axis, circulation, roll, circumrotation, circumvolution, circumgyration, volutation, circination, turbination, pirouette, convolution, verticity, whir, whirl, eddy, vortex, whirlpool, gurge, countercurrent, Maelstrom, Charybdis, Ixion, cyclone, tornado, whirlwind, dust devil, spin-out, axis, axis of rotation, swivel, pivot, pivot point, axle, spindle, pin, hinge, pole, arbor, bobbin, mandrel, axle shaft, gymbal, hub, hub of rotation, helix, helical motion, angular momentum, angular velocity, revolutions per minute, RPM, centrifugal force, surge, vertigo, dizzy round, coriolus force, carousel, merry-go-round, Ferris wheel, top, dreidel, teetotum, gyroscope, turntable, lazy suzan, screw, whirligig, rollingstone, water wheel, windmill, wheel, pulley wheel, roulette wheel, potter's wheel, pinwheel, gear, roller, flywheel, jack, caster, centrifuge, ultracentrifuge, bench centrifuge, refrigerated centrifuge, gas centrifuge, microfuge, drill, augur, oil rig, wagon wheel, wheel, tire, tyre, trochilics, whirling dervish, rotating, rotary, rotary, circumrotatory, trochilic, vertiginous, gyratory, vortical, vorticose, head over heels, round and round, like a horse in a mill.For further exploring for "screw" in Webster Dictionary Online
