Definition of screw
1a : a simple machine of the inclined plane type consisting of a spirally grooved solid cylinder and a correspondingly grooved hollow cylinder into which it fitsb : 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
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
8a : thumbscrew 1b : pressure or punitive measures intended to coerce —used chiefly in the phrase put the screws on or put the screws to
Origin of screw
Middle English scrue, from Middle French escroe female screw, nut, from Medieval Latin scrofa, from Latin, sow
First Known Use: 15th century
Rhymes with screw
blue, boo, brew, chew, clew, clue, coo, coup, crew, cue, dew, do, doux, due, ewe, few, flu, flue, fou, glue, gnu, goo, hew, hue, Jew, Koo, lieu, loo, mew, moo, moue, mu, new, nu, ooh, pew, phew, pooh, q, queue, roux, rue, shoe, shoo, shrew, Sioux, skew, slew, slough, slue, smew, sou, sous, spew, sprue, stew, strew, sue, Sue, thew, through, to, too, true, two, u, view, whew, who, woo, xu, yew, you, zoo
Definition of screw
1a (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 (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 thumbscrewb : to cause to rotate spirally about an axis
3 : to increase the intensity, quantity, or capability of <trying to screw up courage to confess — Will Scott>
4a (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 usually vulgar : to copulate with
1 : to rotate like or as a screw
2 : to turn or move with a twisting or writhing motion
3 usually vulgar : copulate
Examples of screw in a sentence
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.
First Known Use of screw
SCREW Defined for Kids
Definition of screw for Students
1 : to attach or fasten with a screw
2 : to turn or twist on a winding ridge to attach <Remember to screw the lid back on the jar.>
3 : to twist out of shape <Her face was screwed up with pain.>
4 : to increase in amount <He had to screw up his nerve to ask.>
Medical Definition of screw
: a threaded device used in bone surgery for fixation of parts (as fragments of fractured bones)
Seen and Heard
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