[pruh-pel-er] 
| 1. | a device having a revolving hub with radiating blades, for propelling an airplane, ship, etc. |
| 2. | a person or thing that propels. |
| 3. | the bladed rotor of a pump that drives the fluid axially. |
| 4. | a wind-driven, usually three-bladed, device that provides mechanical energy, as for driving an electric alternator in wind plants. |
| pro·pel·ler also pro·pel·lor (prə-pěl'ər) n. A machine for propelling an aircraft or boat, consisting of a power-driven shaft with radiating blades that are placed so as to thrust air or water in a desired direction when spinning. |
| propeller (prə-pěl'ər) Pronunciation Key
A device consisting of a set of two or more twisted, airfoil-shaped blades mounted around a shaft and spun to provide propulsion of a vehicle through water or air, or to cause fluid flow, as in a pump. The lift generated by the spinning blades provides the force that propels the vehicle or the fluid—the lift does not have to result in an actual upward force; its direction is simply parallel to the rotating shaft. |
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