noun ·Uncommon ·College level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   One who, or that which, propels.
2. 2
   a mechanical device that rotates to push against air or water wordnet
3. 3
   A mechanical device with evenly-shaped blades that turn on a shaft to push against air or water, especially one used to propel an aircraft or boat.

   "The plane’s propeller spun rapidly before takeoff."

4. 4
   A steamboat thus propelled; a screw steamer.
5. 5
   A spinnerbait.

Synonyms

All synonyms

aeroplaneairplaneairscrewcompaniondriverfan

Example

More examples

"Jet planes fly much faster than propeller planes."

Etymology

From propel + -er.

Related phrases

P-factorconstant-speed propellerfishtail propellerpropeller beaniepropeller cappropeller headpropeller shaftboat windmillmoving forwardold planeson airplaneon boats

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.