screw
A metal fastener with ridges that twists to hold things together.
The word screw has several meanings:
- A fastener with spiral grooves that winds into materials to hold things together. Unlike a nail that you hammer straight in, a screw twists as it enters wood, metal, or plastic, gripping tightly. The spiral ridges, called threads, act like a tiny ramp wrapped around a cylinder. Carpenters use screws to build furniture, and mechanics use them to assemble engines. You need a screwdriver to turn screws, matching the tool's tip to the screw's head (the flat or cross-shaped groove on top). Screws hold better than nails because you can tighten them, and they won't pop out as easily.
- To attach or fasten something using screws. When you screw two boards together, you're joining them with these threaded fasteners. You might also screw a lid onto a jar by twisting it.
- To twist or rotate something. You screw a light bulb into a socket by turning it clockwise. Someone who screws up their face is twisting their features into an expression of confusion or disgust.
- To ruin or mess something up badly. When someone says “I really screwed that up,” they mean they made a serious mistake. This informal usage suggests the error twisted things out of proper shape.
> Note: In some situations, screw can also be used as a rude word. That meaning is not included here.