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Maritime & Shipping vocabulary · Engine Room

Propeller

Meaning in maritime & shipping, with examples

/prəˈpelər/nounCommon term

In maritime & shipping, propeller means: A set of curved blades on a shaft at the stern that turns in the water and pushes the ship ahead or astern.

In Turkish: pervane, uskur

How it is used

Seafarers talk about propeller pitch, propeller revolutions (rpm) and fixed-pitch or controllable-pitch propellers (CPP). Before the engine is tried out in port, the watch checks that the propeller is clear of boats and lines.

Example sentences

  1. Check that the propeller is clear before the engine is tested.

  2. A rope got caught in the propeller and divers had to cut it free.

Common collocations

  • propeller clear
  • propeller pitch
  • controllable-pitch propeller
  • propeller shaft
  • fouled propeller
  • main engineThe large engine that drives a ship's propeller. On most large merchant ships it is a slow-speed two-stroke diesel engine connected directly to the propeller shaft.
  • rudderA flat, movable blade at the stern, under the water, that is turned to change the direction of the ship.
  • sternThe back end of a ship, where the rudder and propeller are usually found. On many merchant ships the accommodation and the bridge are also close to it.
  • engine roomThe space low inside a ship that holds the main engine, generators, pumps and other machinery. Engineers and engine ratings work and keep watch there.

More terms: Engine Room

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