Nearby Words

corkscrew

[kawrk-skroo] Origin

cork·screw

[kawrk-skroo]
noun
1.
an instrument typically consisting of a metal spiral with a sharp point at one end and a transverse handle at the other, used for drawing corks from bottles.
adjective
2.
resembling a corkscrew; helical; spiral.

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Corkscrew is one of our favorite verbs.
So is peculate. Does it mean:
to expurgate (a written work) by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable.
to steal or take dishonestly (money, esp. public funds, or property entrusted to one's care); embezzle.
verb (used with object), verb (used without object)
3.
to move in a spiral or zigzag course.

Origin:
1805–15; cork + screw
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
corkscrew (ˈkɔːkˌskruː)
 
n
1.  a device for drawing corks from bottles, typically consisting of a pointed metal spiral attached to a handle or screw mechanism
2.  slang boxing a blow that ends with a twist of the fist, esp one intended to cut the opponent
3.  (modifier) resembling a corkscrew in shape
 
vb
4.  to move or cause to move in a spiral or zigzag course

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

corkscrew
1720, from cork + screw. Given various figurative or extended senses from c.1815; the verb is attested from 1837.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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