WATER WHEEL Meaning and
Definition
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A water wheel refers to a mechanical device that utilizes the kinetic energy of flowing or falling water to perform various tasks, such as grinding grain, extracting or pumping water, or generating electricity. Designed with large wooden or metal wheels, a water wheel generally consists of a central axle with numerous radial paddles or buckets strategically placed around its circumference. As water strikes these paddles or buckets, it imparts rotational energy to the wheel, allowing it to turn.
Water wheels have been historically employed in different cultures worldwide, embodying an essential component of early industrialization. These devices harnessed the power of moving water to carry out labor-intensive activities that otherwise required substantial human effort. Their primary application has often been milling, where the water wheel would rotate a millstone, grinding grains into flour or crushing materials to produce various products. Additionally, water wheels were widely employed for irrigation systems, lifting water from lower to higher elevations by using their rotational energy to drive pumping mechanisms.
With the advancements in technology, simple water wheels have been replaced by more efficient hydropower systems. However, many historical sites around the world still preserve their original water wheels, serving as testimonies to the ingenuity and innovation of the past. Today, water wheels are also commonly seen in recreational and environmental contexts, providing aesthetic appeal and serving as reminders of the rich technological heritage of humankind.
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A machine for raising water in large quantities; a wheel moved by water, and employed to set machinery in motion-overshot, when the water acts on the wheel from above-undershot, when the water acts below on the lower part of the wheel-rim-breast, when the water acts on a part of the wheel-rim near the axis.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
Common Misspellings for WATER WHEEL
- qater wheel
- aater wheel
- sater wheel
- eater wheel
- 3ater wheel
- 2ater wheel
- wzter wheel
- wster wheel
- wwter wheel
- wqter wheel
- warer wheel
- wafer wheel
- wager wheel
- wayer wheel
- wa6er wheel
- wa5er wheel
- watwr wheel
- watsr wheel
- watdr wheel
Etymology of WATER WHEEL
The word "water wheel" has a rather straightforward etymology.
The term "water" is derived from the Old English word "wæter", which is related to the Old High German word "wazzar" and the Gothic word "wato". These descended from the Proto-Germanic word "watōr" and the Proto-Indo-European root "wodór".
The word "wheel" comes from the Old English word "hwēol", which has cognates in other Germanic languages such as Old Norse "hvel", Old High German "huuil", and Gothic "hweil". The origin of the word can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic word "hwehwlan", which shares its roots with the Proto-Indo-European word "kwekwlo", meaning "wheel" or "circle".
Similar spelling words for WATER WHEEL
- water lemon,
- waterline,
- Water aloe,
- wall water,
- water lobelia,
- water hole,
- well-developed udder,
- water lettuce,
- oil-in-water emulsion,
- water lily,
- water level,
- waterwheel,
- water well,
- Water willow,
- outer wall,
- Water, Well,
- attar oil,
- wholly water,
- yellow water-lily,
- yellow adder,
- water wall,
- water line,
- water elm,
- oil-water interface,
- well water,
- water locust.
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