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noun
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, especially 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.
Compare bolt1 (def 3).
3.
British. a tapped or threaded hole.
4.
something having a spiral form.
5.
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 British.

a little salt, sugar, tobacco, etc., carried in a twist of paper.
Slang. a mean, old, or worn-out horse; a horse from which one can obtain no further service.
Slang. a friend or employer from whom one can obtain no more money.
Slang. a miser.

10.
British Informal. salary; wages.
11.
Slang. a prison guard.
12.
Slang: Vulgar.

an act of coitus.
a person viewed as a sexual partner.

verb (used with object)
13.
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.
14.
to operate or adjust by a screw, as a press.
15.
to attach with a screw or screws:
to screw a bracket to a wall.
16.
to insert, fasten, undo, or work (a screw, bolt, nut, bottle top with a helical thread, etc.) by turning.
17.
to contort as by twisting; distort (often followed by up):
Dad screwed his face into a grimace of disgust.
18.
to cause to become sufficiently strong or intense (usually followed by up):
I screwed up my courage to ask for a raise.
19.
to coerce or threaten.
20.
to extract or extort.
21.
to force (a seller) to lower a price (often followed by down).
22.
Slang. to cheat or take advantage of (someone).
23.
Slang: Vulgar. to have coitus with.
verb (used without object)
24.
to turn as or like a screw.
25.
to be adapted for being connected, taken apart, opened, or closed by means of a screw or screws or parts with helical threads (usually followed by on, together, or off):
This top screws on easily.
26.
to turn or move with a twisting or rotating motion.
27.
to practice extortion.
28.
Slang: Vulgar. to have coitus.
Verb phrases
29.
screw around, Slang.

to waste time in foolish or frivolous activity:
If you’d stop screwing around we could get this job done.
Vulgar. to engage in promiscuous sex.

30.
screw off, Slang.

to do nothing; loaf.
to leave; go away.

31.
screw up, Slang.

to ruin through bungling or stupidity:
Somehow the engineers screwed up the entire construction project.
to make a botch of something; blunder:
Sorry, I guess I screwed up.
to make confused, anxious, or neurotic:
Losing your job can really screw you up.

Idioms
32.
have a screw loose, Slang. to be eccentric or neurotic; have crazy ideas:
You must have a screw loose to keep so many cats.
33.
have one’s head screwed on right/straight. head (def 67).
34.
put the screws on, to compel by exerting pressure on; use coercion on; force:
They kept putting the screws on him for more money.
noun
1.
a device used for fastening materials together, consisting of a threaded and usually tapered shank that has a slotted head by which it may be rotated so as to cut its own thread as it bores through the material
2.
Also called screw-bolt. a threaded cylindrical rod that engages with a similarly threaded cylindrical hole; bolt
3.
a thread in a cylindrical hole corresponding with that on the bolt or screw with which it is designed to engage
4.
anything resembling a screw in shape or spiral form
5.
a twisting movement of or resembling that of a screw
6.
(billiards, snooker) Also called screw-back

a stroke in which the cue ball recoils or moves backward after striking the object ball, made by striking the cue ball below its centre
the motion resulting from this stroke

7.
another name for propeller (sense 1)
8.
(slang) a prison guard
9.
(Brit, slang) salary, wages, or earnings
10.
(Brit) a small amount of salt, tobacco, etc, in a twist of paper
11.
(slang) a person who is mean with money
12.
(slang) an old, unsound, or worthless horse
13.
(often pl) (slang) force or compulsion (esp in the phrase put the screws on)
14.
(slang) sexual intercourse
15.
(informal) have a screw loose, to be insane
16.
(slang) turn the screw, tighten the screw, to increase the pressure
verb
17.
(transitive) to rotate (a screw or bolt) so as to drive it into or draw it out of a material
18.
(transitive) to cut a screw thread in (a rod or hole) with a tap or die or on a lathe
19.
to turn or cause to turn in the manner of a screw
20.
(transitive) to attach or fasten with a screw or screws
21.
(transitive) (informal) to take advantage of; cheat
22.
(transitive) often foll by up. to distort or contort: he screwed his face into a scowl
23.
Also screw back. to impart a screw to (a ball)
24.
(transitive, often foll by from or out of) to coerce or force out of; extort
25.
(slang) to have sexual intercourse (with)
26.
(transitive) (slang) to burgle
27.
(informal) have one’s head screwed on, have one’s head screwed on the right way, to be wise or sensible
screw 1
screw 2
screw

jargon
(MIT) A failure, usually in software. Especially used for user-visible misbehaviour caused by a bug or misfeature. This use has become quite widespread outside MIT.
[Jargon File]
(1994-12-01)