waterwheel

noun

wa·​ter·​wheel ˈwȯ-tər-ˌ(h)wēl How to pronounce waterwheel (audio)
ˈwä-
1
: a wheel made to rotate by direct action of water
2
: a wheel for raising water

Illustration of waterwheel

Illustration of waterwheel
  • waterwheel 1

Examples of waterwheel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Imagineering then set out to re-create the original Swiss Family Treehouse waterwheel, calling upon the company’s archives division to dig up the historical structure. Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023 Gone are the static animals of yore, replaced by a bevy of animatronic and mechanical critters, self-playing instruments and a dazzling, functional waterwheel, a throwback to the original Swiss Family Treehouse that opened at Disneyland in 1962. Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2023 If Microsoft Word was the waterwheel, in other words, maybe Monday.com can be the assembly line. Cal Newport, The New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2023 This water-energy-food nexus goes back centuries—maybe even to the first waterwheels around 100 BCE, which affected fishing downstream. Noah Gordon, The New Republic, 29 Mar. 2023 The rustic building with a waterwheel sits in contrast to the neighboring art deco buildings, erected in the same decade. Dallas News, 29 Sep. 2022 As a simple mental picture, imagine a clock with gears connected to a waterwheel instead of a motor. Jonathon Keats, Discover Magazine, 8 Apr. 2021 Inside, a waterwheel dropped chalky white lime dust into the vermillion stream below. Eliza Griswold, The New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2022 There is a saltwater infinity pool, a hot tub and a koi pond with a waterwheel. Kathy Orton, Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'waterwheel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of waterwheel was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near waterwheel

Cite this Entry

“Waterwheel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/waterwheel. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

waterwheel

noun
wa·​ter·​wheel -ˌhwēl How to pronounce waterwheel (audio)
-ˌwēl
: a wheel made to turn by a flow of water against it

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