propeller

noun

pro·​pel·​ler prə-ˈpe-lər How to pronounce propeller (audio)
variants or less commonly propellor
: one that propels
especially : a device that consists of a central hub with radiating blades placed and twisted so that each forms part of a helical surface and that is used to propel a vehicle (such as a ship or airplane)

Examples of propeller in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
After developing the Whale Design propeller, BlueNav integrated the blades into its existing BlueSpin rim drives. New Atlas, 28 Jan. 2025 Those who heard the roar of the motors and the whirl of the propellers just after 6 a.m. that day were witnesses to the first flight of, depending on your point of view, either a fanciful and quickly forgotten business venture or one of the world’s most successful marketing gambits. April White, JSTOR Daily, 20 Jan. 2025 Unlike a traditional paraglider, where pilots must launch from a cliff or hillside and catch columns of rising warm air to ascend, the motor and propeller allow pilots to take off from open, flat ground—no hills or cliffs required. Owen Clarke, Outside Online, 30 Dec. 2024 The Flip has a Mode button on its fuselage, on the right side between the two propellers relative to the drone's camera facing you. PCMAG, 14 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for propeller 

Word History

Etymology

propel + -er entry 2

First Known Use

1780, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of propeller was in 1780

Dictionary Entries Near propeller

Cite this Entry

“Propeller.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/propeller. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

propeller

noun
pro·​pel·​ler prə-ˈpel-ər How to pronounce propeller (audio)
: a device consisting of a hub fitted with blades that is made to turn rapidly by an engine and is used especially for propelling airplanes and ships

More from Merriam-Webster on propeller

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