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corkscrew.

An implement for opening bottles that are sealed by a cork. Sometimes specifically such an implement that includes a screw-shaped part, or worm.

9 characters2 syllables approx.English language

Meaning & usage

noun/ˈkɔːk.skɹuː/UK/ˈkɔɹk.skɹu/US
  1. An implement for opening bottles that are sealed by a cork. Sometimes specifically such an implement that includes a screw-shaped part, or worm.

    I opened the wine with a corkscrew.
  2. The screw-shaped worm of a typical corkscrew.

  3. A type of sharp, twisting punch, often one thrown close and from the side.

  4. A type of inversion used in roller coasters.

Where this word comes from

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- Proto-Indo-European *(s)kert- Proto-Indo-European *(s)kort-ek-sder. Latin cortexder.? ▲ Latin cortexder. Mozarabic *kórčo, *kórčeder.? Spanish corchobor. Middle Dutch curcder. Middle English cork English cork Proto-Indo-European *(s)krebʰ-der.? Latin scrōfa Old French escrouebor. ▲ Old French escruveinflu. Middle English scrue English screw English corkscrew From cork + screw.

adj/ˈkɔːk.skɹuː/UK/ˈkɔɹk.skɹu/US
  1. Having the tightly winding shape of a corkscrew.

    not-comparable
Where this word comes from

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- Proto-Indo-European *(s)kert- Proto-Indo-European *(s)kort-ek-sder. Latin cortexder.? ▲ Latin cortexder. Mozarabic *kórčo, *kórčeder.? Spanish corchobor. Middle Dutch curcder. Middle English cork English cork Proto-Indo-European *(s)krebʰ-der.? Latin scrōfa Old French escrouebor. ▲ Old French escruveinflu. Middle English scrue English screw English corkscrew From cork + screw.

verb/ˈkɔːk.skɹuː/UK/ˈkɔɹk.skɹu/US
  1. To wind or twist in the manner of a corkscrew; to move with much horizontal and vertical shifting.

    intransitive
  2. To cause something to twist or move in a spiral path or shape.

    transitive
  3. To extract information or consent from someone.

    informal · transitive
Where this word comes from

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- Proto-Indo-European *(s)kert- Proto-Indo-European *(s)kort-ek-sder. Latin cortexder.? ▲ Latin cortexder. Mozarabic *kórčo, *kórčeder.? Spanish corchobor. Middle Dutch curcder. Middle English cork English cork Proto-Indo-European *(s)krebʰ-der.? Latin scrōfa Old French escrouebor. ▲ Old French escruveinflu. Middle English scrue English screw English corkscrew From cork + screw.

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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.

Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.