water wheel

Definition

A wheel, propelled by running or falling water, used to power machinery.

Example Sentences

• ""Yes, yes, I'll tell you the road directly, it's it's straight on through the wood till you come to the big water-wheel!""
• "Turbines have been around for a long time—windmills and water wheels are early examples. The name comes from the Latin turbo, meaning vortex, and thus the defining property of a turbine is that a fluid or gas turns the blades of a rotor, which is attached to a shaft that can perform useful work."