WORM GEAR

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does worm gear mean? 

• WORM GEAR (noun)
  The noun WORM GEAR has 1 sense:

1. gear consisting of a shaft with screw thread (the worm) that meshes with a toothed wheel (the worm wheel); changes the direction of the axis of rotary motion

  Familiarity information: WORM GEAR used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• WORM GEAR (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Gear consisting of a shaft with screw thread (the worm) that meshes with a toothed wheel (the worm wheel); changes the direction of the axis of rotary motion

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("worm gear" is a kind of...):

cogwheel; gear; gear wheel; geared wheel (a toothed wheel that engages another toothed mechanism in order to change the speed or direction of transmitted motion)

Meronyms (parts of "worm gear"):

worm (screw thread on a gear with the teeth of a worm wheel or rack)

worm wheel (gear with the thread of a worm)