propeller

[ pruh-pel-er ]

noun

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

propeller

/ prəˈpɛlə /

noun

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

propeller

/ prə-pĕl′ər /

1. 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of propeller¹

First recorded in 1770–80; propel + -er ¹

Example Sentences

It matters more to write and make art in a state like Florida, where the governor and his supporters are actively hostile to both culture and journalism, than it does in a place like Brooklyn, where I once saw a grown man unironically wearing a propeller beanie.

From Slate

Sitting on a hillside above the city, small 35-seat propeller planes take off and land from a tarmac airstrip.

From BBC

The group found damage to its hull, propeller and rudder, but the Ruby was still deemed “seaworthy”.

From BBC

Aerolane says a small electric motor driving a propeller will act as a safety net on their cargo gliders, giving them enough juice to go around again if a landing looks wrong or to divert to another location close by.

From BBC

A photo posted by the agency on X shows the nose of the plane and propeller attached to a completely bare frame, apparently incinerated by the blaze.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• screw