■ noun
1》 a short, slender, sharp-pointed metal pin with a raised helical thread running around it and a slotted head, used to join things together by being rotated in under pressure.
↘a cylinder with a helical ridge or thread running round the outside that can be turned to seal an opening, apply pressure, adjust position, etc.
↘( the ~s ) historical an instrument of torture acting in this way.
2》 an act of turning a ~.
↘ Brit. a small twisted-up piece of paper containing a substance such as salt or tobacco.
3》 (also ~ propeller ) a ship's or aircraft's propeller.
4》 informal, derogatory a prison warder.
5》 vulgar slang an act of sexual intercourse.
6》 Brit. informal, dated an amount of salary or wages.
7》 archaic, informal a mean or miserly person.
8》 Brit. informal a worn-out horse.
■ verb
1》 fasten or tighten with a ~ or ~s.
↘rotate (something) so as to attach or remove it by means of a spiral thread.
↘impart spin or curl to (a ball or shot).
↘( ~ something around/round ) turn one's head or body round sharply.
2》 informal cheat or swindle.
↘ruin or render ineffective.
3》 vulgar slang have sex with.
Phrases
have one's head ~ed on ( the right way ) informal have common sense.
have a ~ loose informal be slightly eccentric or mentally disturbed.
put (or turn or tighten ) the ~ (or ~s) on informal exert strong psychological pressure on.
Phrasal verbs
~ around
1》 vulgar slang have many different sexual partners.
2》 informal fool about.
~ someone over informal, chiefly US treat someone unfairly; cheat or swindle someone.
~ up informal completely mismanage or mishandle a situation.
~ someone up informal cause someone to be emotionally or mentally disturbed.
~ something up
1》 crush a piece of paper or fabric into a tight mass.
↘tense the muscles of one's face or around one's eyes.
2》 informal cause something to go wrong.
3》 summon up one's courage.
Derivatives
~able adjective
~er noun
Origin
ME (asnoun): from OFr. escroue 'female ~, nut', from L. scrofa , lit. 'sow', later '~'.