screw

screw¹ [skru:] n

[Date: 1400-1500; : Old French; Origin: escroe 'inner screw, nut', from Latin scrofa 'female pig']

1.) a thin pointed piece of metal that you push and turn in order to fasten pieces of metal or wood together

→↑nail

▪ Fix the frame in position and tighten the screws .

2.)

a) informal not polite an offensive word meaning an act of having sex

b) a good screw

informal not polite a very offensive word for someone who is good at having sex

3.) have a screw loose informal

to be slightly crazy

4.) put/tighten the screws on sb informal

to force someone to do something by threatening them

▪ The government has started to tighten the screws on illegal share dealers.

5.) BrE informal a prison officer - used especially by prisoners

screw ²

screw² v

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

1¦(attach)¦

2¦(close by turning)¦

3¦(paper/cloth)¦

4¦(sex)¦

5 screw you/him etc

6¦(cheat)¦

Phrasal verbs

　screw around

　screw up

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

1.) ¦(ATTACH)¦ [T always + adverb/preposition]

to attach one thing to another using a screw

→↑nail screw sth into/onto/to sth

▪ The chairs were screwed to the floor.

▪ The wooden frame should be screwed onto the wall.

2.) ¦(CLOSE BY TURNING)¦ [I,T always + adverb/preposition]

to fasten or close something by turning it, or to be fastened in this way

≠ ↑unscrew screw (sth) on/onto sth

▪ The lens screws onto the front of the camera.

▪ She carefully screwed the cap back onto the toothpaste.

3.) ¦(PAPER/CLOTH)¦ [T always + adverb/preposition]

also screw up

to twist paper or cloth into a small round shape

▪ She screwed the letter up and threw it in the bin.

screw sth (up) into sth

▪ I screwed my handkerchief into a ball.

4.) ¦(SEX)¦ [I and T]

taboo an offensive word meaning to have sex with someone

5.) screw you/him etc

spoken not polite an offensive expression used to show that you are very angry with someone

6.) ¦(CHEAT)¦ [T]

not polite to cheat someone in order to get money from them

screw sb for sth

▪ They screwed us for $60 in the end.

→have your head screwed on (straight) at ↑head¹ (3c)

screw around phr v

1.) informal to do silly things that may cause trouble

= ↑mess around

▪ The kids were screwing around down by the bus station.

2.) not polite an offensive expression meaning to have sex with a lot of different people

screw up phr v

1.) informal to make a bad mistake or do something very stupid

= ↑mess up

▪ You'd better not screw up this time.

2.) screw sth<=>up informal

to spoil something by doing something stupid

= ↑mess something up

▪ She realized that she had screwed up her life.

3.) screw up your eyes/face

to move the muscles in your face in a way that makes your eyes seem narrow

▪ He screwed up his eyes against the bright light.

▪ Her face was screwed up with pain.

4.) screw sb<=>up informal

to make someone feel very unhappy, confused, or upset so that they have emotional problems for a long time

= ↑mess somebody up

▪ It really screwed her up when her mother died.

→↑screwed up

5.) screw up the/enough courage to do sth also screw up your courage

to be brave enough to do something you are very nervous about

▪ I finally screwed up enough courage to talk to her.