A propeller is a rotating device with blades that pushes air or water backward to move a vehicle, like a plane or boat, forward.
From *propel* + *-er*, meaning 'that which propels'. It was adopted for the spinning blades that drive ships and aircraft.
A propeller works by constantly throwing air or water backward so the vehicle is pushed forward in response. It’s a perfect example of Newton’s third law hiding in everyday technology.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.