Archimedes' screw

English

An Archimedes' screw in water.
Animation showing how an Archimedes' screw functions. Alternatively, the cylindrical casing could be welded to and could rotate with the spiral screw.

Alternative forms

Noun

Archimedes' screw (plural Archimedes' screws)

  1. (engineering) A screwlike device invented by Greek mathematician Archimedes, ca. 200 B.C.E., which when twisted inside a cylinder, raises water from a lower level to a higher level, allowing irrigation of fields.

Translations

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