propeller

[ pruh-pel-er ]
/ prəˈpɛl ər /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR propeller ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a device having a revolving hub with radiating blades, for propelling an airplane, ship, etc.
a person or thing that propels.
the bladed rotor of a pump that drives the fluid axially.
a wind-driven, usually three-bladed, device that provides mechanical energy, as for driving an electric alternator in wind plants.

Origin of propeller

First recorded in 1770–80; propel + -er1

Words nearby propeller

proparoxytone, propecia, propel, propellant, propellent, propeller, propeller head, propeller horsepower, propeller shaft, propeller wash, propelling pencil

Words related to propeller

screw, driver, paddle, prop, fan, fin, oar

Example sentences from the Web for propeller

British Dictionary definitions for propeller

propeller
/ (prəˈpɛlə) /

noun

a device having blades radiating from a central hub that is rotated to produce thrust to propel a ship, aircraft, etc
a person or thing that propels

Scientific definitions for propeller

propeller
[ prə-pĕl′ər ]

A device consisting of a set of two or more twisted, airfoil-shaped blades mounted around a shaft and spun to provide propulsion of a vehicle through water or air, or to cause fluid flow, as in a pump. The lift generated by the spinning blades provides the force that propels the vehicle or the fluid-the lift does not have to result in an actual upward force; its direction is simply parallel to the rotating shaft.