Etymology

screwdriver

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Today it means: A hand tool or power tool which engages with the head of a screw and allows torque to be applied to turn the screw, thus driving it in or loosening it. Full definition →

English driver ← Middle English drivere ← Old French escruveinflu.
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*(s)krebʰ-der.?
  2. Latinscrōfa
  3. Old Frenchescroue
  4. Old Frenchescruveinflu.
  5. Middle Englishscrue
  6. Englishscrew
  7. Middle Englishdriven
  8. Middle Englishdrivere
  9. Englishdriver
  10. English todayscrewdriver

Compound of screw + driver.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.