— screwable , adj. — screwer , n. — screwless , adj. — screwlike , adj.
/skrooh/ , n.
1. a metal fastener having a tapered shank with a helical thread, and topped with a slotted head, driven into wood or the like by rotating, esp. by means of a screwdriver.
2. a threaded cylindrical pin or rod with a head at one end, engaging a threaded hole and used either as a fastener or as a simple machine for applying power, as in a clamp, jack, etc. Cf. bolt 1 (def. 3).
3. Brit. a tapped or threaded hole.
4. something having a spiral form.
5. See screw propeller .
6. Usually, screws . physical or mental coercion: The terrified debtor soon felt the gangster's screws.
7. a single turn of a screw.
8. a twist, turn, or twisting movement.
9. Chiefly Brit.
a. a little salt, sugar, tobacco, etc., carried in a twist of paper.
b. Slang. a mean, old, or worn-out horse; a horse from which one can obtain no further service.
c. Slang. a friend or employer from whom one can obtain no more money.
d. Slang. a miser.
10. Brit. Informal. salary; wages.
11. Slang. a prison guard.
12. Slang ( vulgar ).
a. an act of coitus.
b. a person viewed as a sexual partner.
13. have a screw loose , Slang. to be eccentric or neurotic; have crazy ideas: You must have a screw loose to keep so many cats.
14. put the screws on , to compel by exerting pressure on; use coercion on; force: They kept putting the screws on him for more money.
v.t.
15. to fasten, tighten, force, press, stretch tight, etc., by or as if by means of a screw or device operated by a screw or helical threads.
16. to operate or adjust by a screw, as a press.
17. to attach with a screw or screws: to screw a bracket to a wall.
18. to insert, fasten, undo, or work (a screw, bolt, nut, bottle top with a helical thread, etc.) by turning.
19. to contort as by twisting; distort: Father screwed his face into a grimace of disgust.
20. to cause to become sufficiently strong or intense (usually fol. by up ): I screwed up my courage to ask for a raise.
21. to coerce or threaten.
22. to extract or extort.
23. to force (a seller) to lower a price (often fol. by down ).
24. Slang. to cheat or take advantage of (someone).
25. Slang ( vulgar ). to have coitus with.
v.i.
26. to turn as or like a screw.
27. to be adapted for being connected, taken apart, opened, or closed by means of a screw or screws or parts with helical threads (usually fol. by on, together, or off ): This top screws on easily.
28. to turn or move with a twisting or rotating motion.
29. to practice extortion.
30. Slang ( vulgar ). to have coitus.
31. screw around , Slang.
a. to waste time in foolish or frivolous activity: If you'd stop screwing around we could get this job done.
b. Vulgar. to engage in promiscuous sex.
32. screw off , Slang.
a. to do nothing; loaf.
b. to leave; go away.
33. screw up , Slang.
a. to ruin through bungling or stupidity: Somehow the engineers screwed up the entire construction project.
b. to make a botch of something; blunder.
c. to make confused, anxious, or neurotic.
[ 1375-1425; late ME scrwe, screw ( e ) (n.); cf. MF escro ( ue ) nut, MD schrûve, MHG schrûbe screw ]
Syn. 22. wring, wrest, force, exact, squeeze.