Dictionary

corkscrew en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• (Australia) audio
• /ˈkɔːk.skɹuː/ (UK)
• /ˈkɔɹk.skɹu/ (US)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- Proto-Indo-European *(s)kert- Proto-Indo-European *(s)kort-ek-sder. Latin cortexder.? ▲ Latin cortexder. Mozarabic *kórčo, *kórčeder.? Spanish corchobor. Middle Dutch curcder. Middle English cork English cork Proto-Indo-European *(s)krebʰ-der.? Latin scrōfa Old French escrouebor. ▲ Old French escruveinflu. Middle English scrue English screw English corkscrew From cork + screw.

Meanings

1. (not-comparable) Having the tightly winding shape of a corkscrew.
   • All the heat of a decade of fierce Indian summers is stored in the pitch-black, polished walls of the corkscrew staircase. 1885, Rudyard Kipling, The City of Dreadful Night:
   • Wide eyes and corkscrew hair / Tied with lace you found somewhere 1980, “Spring Collection”, in New Clear Days, performed by The Vapors:
   • Then the old gentleman spun himself round with velocity in the opposite direction, continued to spin until his long cloak was all wound neatly about him, clapped his cap on his head, very much on one side (for it could not stand upright without going through the ceiling), gave an additional twist to his corkscrew mustaches, and replied with perfect coolness. 1841, John Ruskin, chapter I, in The King of the Golden River:

Synonyms

helical

Translations (11)

hy պարուրաձև (having the winding shape of a corkscrew) · hy պտուտակաձև (having the winding shape of a corkscrew) · ru спиралеви́дный (having the winding shape of a corkscrew) · ru винтово́й (having the winding shape of a corkscrew) · es espiral (having the winding shape of a corkscrew) · fi kierteinen (having the winding shape of a corkscrew) · ru винтообра́зный (having the winding shape of a corkscrew) · ko 나사형 (having the winding shape of a corkscrew) · fi kierretty (having the winding shape of a corkscrew) · ru спира́льный (having the winding shape of a corkscrew) · fi kierre- (having the winding shape of a corkscrew)

corkscrew en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• (Australia) audio
• /ˈkɔːk.skɹuː/ (UK)
• /ˈkɔɹk.skɹu/ (US)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- Proto-Indo-European *(s)kert- Proto-Indo-European *(s)kort-ek-sder. Latin cortexder.? ▲ Latin cortexder. Mozarabic *kórčo, *kórčeder.? Spanish corchobor. Middle Dutch curcder. Middle English cork English cork Proto-Indo-European *(s)krebʰ-der.? Latin scrōfa Old French escrouebor. ▲ Old French escruveinflu. Middle English scrue English screw English corkscrew From cork + screw.

Meanings

1. An implement for opening bottles that are sealed by a cork. Sometimes specifically such an implement that includes a screw-shaped part, or worm.
   • A two-prong or ah-so corkscrew with sheath. 2006, Costas Katsigris, Chris Thomas, The Bar and Beverage Book, 4th edition, page 152:
   • There stood presented to his sight, Or seem'd to stand, the God of wine, […] This hand a Cork-scrue did contain, And that a Bottle of Champaign. 1720, Nicholas Amhurst, “The Bottle-Scrue”, in Poems on Several Occasions, page 113:
   • I opened the wine with a corkscrew.
   • A corkscrew is designed so that when it is turned it creates effectively a helical undulation pushing it into the cork, whereas rotation in the opposite sense pulls it out. 1999, James Lighthill, “Biofluiddynamics: A Survey”, in Contemporary Mathematics, volume 141, page 11:
2. The screw-shaped worm of a typical corkscrew.
   • A bubble rising rapidly in water describes a spiral closely resembling a corkscrew. 1898, Herbert Spencer, First Principles of a New System of Philosophy:
3. A type of sharp, twisting punch, often one thrown close and from the side.
   • […] the immovable McCoy let fly his most miraculous punch of the evening, of his lives, a world-beater of a right corkscrew, a punch years in the windup […] 2002, Darin Strauss, The Real McCoy, →ISBN, page 42:
4. (qualifier:amusement rides) A type of inversion used in roller coasters.
   • A corkscrew has a 90° turn just prior to the loop and a 90° turn just afterward. 1987 September 14, Tim Cole, “Killer Coasters”, in Popular Mechanics, page 56:

Forms

Coordinates

wine key (other types of bottle opener) · church key (other types of bottle opener)

Deriveds

corkscrewlike · corkscrew flower · corkscrewy · corkscrew physa · corkscrew hazel · corkscrew vine · corkscrew grass · corkscrew stroke · corkscrew stake · devil's corkscrew

Hypernyms

bottle opener

Hyponyms

butler's friend (types of corkscrew bottle opener) · wing corkscrew (types of corkscrew bottle opener) · waiter's friend (types of corkscrew bottle opener)

Meronyms

worm

Synonyms

cork puller (implement for opening bottles) · bottle screw (implement for opening bottles)

Translations (72)

it cavatappi (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · is tappatogari (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · ast sacacorchos (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · gl tirabuxón (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · ro tirbușon (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · ga corcscriú (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · es sacacorchos (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · ja コークスクリュー (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · th เหล็กไขจุก (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · el τιρμπουσόν (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · pt saca-rolhas (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · sv korkskruv (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · ja コークスクリュー (boxing, martial arts: a type of sharp, twisting punch) · fr tire-bouchon (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · ja 栓抜き (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · la extraculum (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · de Korkenzieher (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · tr burgu (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · et korgits (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · pl korkociąg (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · lv korķviļķis (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · cmn 瓶塞起子 (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · ja ワインオープナー (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · az probkaaçan (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · ota تیربوشون (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · nl kurkentrekker (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · vi tóc xoắn (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · cs vývrtka (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · fi korkkiruuvi (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · sh вадичеп (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · fo propptrekkjari (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · mi takawiri (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · gl sacarrollas (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · ar بَرِّيمة (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · fy koarkelûker (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · es tirabuzón (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · lt kamščiatraukis (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · da proptrækker (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · uk коркотяг (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · ka კორპსაძრობი (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · ko 마개뽑이 (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · sl izvijač (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · bg тирбушо́н (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · mt trabixù (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · sh izvijač (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · sh извијач (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · nrf tire-bouchon (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · ko 코크스크류 (boxing, martial arts: a type of sharp, twisting punch) · tr tirbuşon (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · mk отворач за тапи (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · nb korketrekker (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · lad tirbushón (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · uk штопор (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · tl tribuson (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · id kotrek (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · oc tiratap (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · ko 코르크스크루 (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · mk вадичеп (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · ms pencabut gabus (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · ru што́пор (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · nn korketrekkjar (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · tl tirabuson (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · ca llevataps (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · es descorchador (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · vo koegitiret (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · hy խցանահան (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · gl abridor (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · ko 와인따개 (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · sw kizibuo (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · sh vadičep (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · es sacatapón (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork) · ota بورغو (implement for opening bottles sealed by a cork)

corkscrew en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• (Australia) audio
• /ˈkɔːk.skɹuː/ (UK)
• /ˈkɔɹk.skɹu/ (US)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- Proto-Indo-European *(s)kert- Proto-Indo-European *(s)kort-ek-sder. Latin cortexder.? ▲ Latin cortexder. Mozarabic *kórčo, *kórčeder.? Spanish corchobor. Middle Dutch curcder. Middle English cork English cork Proto-Indo-European *(s)krebʰ-der.? Latin scrōfa Old French escrouebor. ▲ Old French escruveinflu. Middle English scrue English screw English corkscrew From cork + screw.

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To wind or twist in the manner of a corkscrew; to move with much horizontal and vertical shifting.
   • Into the tea–room Mr. Pickwick turned; and catching sight of him, Mr. Bantam corkscrewed his way through the crowd and welcomed him with ecstasy. 1832, Charles Dickens, chapter 35, in The Pickwick Papers:
   • Far off to starboard an Atlantic liner, all lights blazing, came towards us, corkscrewing with a motion which must have left the passengers unhappy. 1960, Lobsang Rampa, chapter 5, in The Rampa Story:
   • The street corkscrewed endlessly. Sometimes it seemed to stop; then it found a hole in the opposing masonry and edged its way in. 1916, John Buchan, chapter 10, in Greenmantle:
2. (transitive) To cause something to twist or move in a spiral path or shape.
   • Soon he was corkscrewed into place, suspended from the ceiling in an impossible maze of unforgiving circuitry. 2007, Mike Monahan, Barracuda, page 107:
   • Rusty corkscrewed the plane back down again, but instead of mashing the throttles to the wall, he pulled them to idle. 2006, Rocky Raab, Baggy Zero Four, page 155:
   • Caught and twisted—corkscrewed in the mazes of the line, loose harpoons and lances, with all their bristling barbs and points, came flashing and dripping up to the chocks in the bows of Ahab’s boat. 1851, Herman Melville, chapter 134, in Moby-Dick:
3. (informal, transitive) To extract information or consent from someone.
   • Yes, I believe you did after it was corkscrewed out of you, but I got the impression at the outset that you were, just as willing to let it stand there. 1922, James Thomas Heflin, Hearings Before the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, page 460:
   • I strongly suspect (from what Small has dropped, and from what we have corkscrewed out of him) that those letters I was to have brought to your ladyship were not destroyed when I supposed they were. 1852, Charles Dickens, chapter 55, in Bleak House:

Forms

Synonyms

spiral (move in a corkscrew path)

Translations (7)

ru извивать (to cause something to twist or move in a spiral path or shape) · hy խցկվելով անցնել (to wind or twist in the path of a corkscrew) · ru извиваться (to wind or twist in the path of a corkscrew) · cmn 瓶塞钻 (to wind or twist in the path of a corkscrew) · mi kōmiro (to wind or twist in the path of a corkscrew) · hy պարուրագծով շարժվել (to wind or twist in the path of a corkscrew) · fi kiemurrella (to wind or twist in the path of a corkscrew)