worm gear

noun

1
2
: a gear of a worm and a worm wheel working together

Illustration of worm gear

Illustration of worm gear
  • worm gear 2

Examples of worm gear in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
For free, dealers will replace the worm gear spring and redistribute or add grease as necessary. Ahjané Forbes, USA TODAY, 14 Oct. 2024 If your car was recalled, a dealer will replace the worm gear spring free of charge to resolve the steering problem. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 10 Oct. 2024 As a remedy, dealers will replace the worm gear spring and redistribute or add grease as necessary, free of charge. Anne Marie Lee, CBS News, 9 Oct. 2024 Later, Winslow and Horn watched their students delight in displays demonstrating the power of air pressure and the workings of a worm gear invented by Leonardo da Vinci. Joanna Slater, Washington Post, 23 June 2024 Also, the gear geometry is such that, when the saw is on, the worm gear can turn the worm wheel, but not the other way around. Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 18 Mar. 2021 And the saw should have more than enough power to handle typical dados, thanks to the 15-amp worm gear motor that powers it. Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 24 Feb. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of worm gear was in 1851

Dictionary Entries Near worm gear

Cite this Entry

“Worm gear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worm%20gear. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

worm gear

noun
: a mechanical linkage consisting of a short rotating screw whose threads fit together with the teeth of a gearwheel

More from Merriam-Webster on worm gear

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