mill wheel

noun

1. a wheel, especially a waterwheel, for driving a mill.

Word History and Origins

Origin of mill wheel¹

before 1000; Middle English myln whele, Old English mylenhwēol. See mill ¹, wheel

Example Sentences

The canal’s water power, channeled through a mill wheel, drives a gigantic hammer inside the building punching down on the anvil.

From Seattle Times

Work is well-organized energy usable for a purpose, like turning a mill wheel.

From Scientific American

The net effect is to enhance the diversity and abundance of pests, thus driving the pesticide mill wheel.

From Scientific American

It never rains till oil has been poured over the troubled mill wheel’s cogs.

From The New Yorker

In Act III, during Samson’s scene of captivity — shorn of his hair, blinded and turning a mill wheel — the character’s spirit is utterly broken.

From New York Times