What does airscrew mean?
An airscrew is a propeller — specifically, the rotating bladed device that converts an aircraft engine's power into forward thrust by biting into the air much as a screw bites into wood. The term arose in early British aviation, when pioneering engineers described the propeller as a form of screw working against air rather than a solid material. An airscrew typically consists of two or more twisted blades mounted on a hub and spun by the engine, their angled surfaces generating lift directed forwards as thrust. Although 'airscrew' was once standard vocabulary among British aviators and manufacturers, it has largely given way to the internationally familiar 'propeller', and today it carries a somewhat historical or specialist tone, appearing mainly in accounts of early flight, vintage aircraft restoration, and older technical manuals. For readers interested in aviation history, the word offers a vivid reminder of how the first flyers conceptualised their machines.
nounA propeller, especially one that drives an aircraft through the air; a rotating bladed device that converts engine power into thrust.
- A propeller that provides thrust for an aircraft, consisting of two or more blades mounted on a rotating hub driven by an engine.
"The vintage biplane's wooden airscrew was lovingly restored by the museum's volunteers."
"The mechanic carefully inspected each blade of the airscrew before the morning flight."
"Early aviators discovered that a longer, finer-pitched airscrew gave better climb performance at high altitudes."
Standard plural; used when referring to multiple propellers, such as on multi-engine aircraft.
"Both airscrews feathered automatically when the engines were shut down."
Before pilots said 'propeller,' early British aviators called it an 'airscrew' — literally a screw that bites into air instead of wood.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of airscrew
The word 'airscrew' is a compound of 'air' and 'screw', coined in the early twentieth century during the birth of powered flight, when British engineers likened the aircraft propeller to a screw threading its way through the atmosphere. The underlying word 'screw' entered Middle English from Old French 'escroue', with further origins debated between Latin and Germanic sources. The compound never gained wide currency outside Britain, and as aviation terminology internationalised, 'propeller' displaced it almost entirely.
How airscrew is actually used
'Airscrew' is primarily British and has a distinctly historical or technical flavour; it was standard terminology in early aviation but has largely been superseded by 'propeller' in everyday usage. It survives in vintage aviation contexts, historical accounts, and some technical literature.
Easily confused with airscrew
An airscrew and a propeller denote the same device, but 'airscrew' is chiefly British and now largely historical or technical, while 'propeller' is the standard international term.
'Escrow' is a financial arrangement in which funds are held by a third party, whereas an 'airscrew' is an aircraft's propeller; the two merely share distant roots in the word 'screw'.