Screw around

Screw around
Screw Screw, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Screwed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Screwing}.] 1. To turn, as a screw; to apply a screw to; to press, fasten, or make firm, by means of a screw or screws; as, to screw a lock on a door; to screw a press. [1913 Webster]

2. To force; to squeeze; to press, as by screws. [1913 Webster]

But screw your courage to the sticking place, And we'll not fail. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

3. Hence: To practice extortion upon; to oppress by unreasonable or extortionate exactions. [1913 Webster]

Our country landlords, by unmeasurable screwing and racking their tenants, have already reduced the miserable people to a worse condition than the peasants in France. --swift. [1913 Webster]

4. To twist; to distort; as, to screw his visage. [1913 Webster]

He screwed his face into a hardened smile. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

5. To examine rigidly, as a student; to subject to a severe examination. [Cant, American Colleges] [1913 Webster]

{To screw out}, to press out; to extort.

{To screw up}, (a) to force; to bring by violent pressure. --Howell. (b) to damage by unskillful effort; to bungle; to botch; to mess up. (c) [intrans] to fail by unskillful effort, usu. causing unpleasant consequences.

{To screw in}, to force in by turning or twisting.

{Screw around} (a) to act aimlessly or unproductively. (b) screw around with, to operate or make changes on (a machine or device) without expert knowledge; to fiddle with. (c) [Colloq.]commit adultery; to be sexually promiscuous. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • screw around — {v. phr.}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} To hang around idly without accomplishing anything, to loaf about, to beat or hack around. * /You guys are no longer welcome here; all you do is screw around all day./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • screw around — {v. phr.}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} To hang around idly without accomplishing anything, to loaf about, to beat or hack around. * /You guys are no longer welcome here; all you do is screw around all day./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • screw around — (with (someone)) 1. to have sex with someone who is not your regular partner. I think I saw the guy that she s been screwing around with. 2. to annoy someone by wasting their time. You ll be sorry if you screw around with Captain Legore …   New idioms dictionary

  • screw around — (with (something)) to waste time. Stop screwing around and finish your work. They spent the whole morning screwing around with Jeff s motorcycle …   New idioms dictionary

  • screw around — intransitive verb slang : to waste or pass time : loiter got all night to screw around here Richard Bissell * * * 1) vulgar slang have many different sexual partners 2) informal fool around * * * screw around [phrasal verb] chiefly US informal …   Useful english dictionary

  • screw around — phrasal verb [intransitive] Word forms screw around : present tense I/you/we/they screw around he/she/it screws around present participle screwing around past tense screwed around past participle screwed around impolite 1) to have a lot of sexual …   English dictionary

  • screw around — v. (colloq.) (D; intr.) ( to fool around ) to screw around with USAGE NOTE: This verb also has an obscene meaning. * * * [ skruːə raʊnd] (colloq.) (D; intr.) ( to fool around ) to screw around with (USAGE NOTE: This verb also has an obscene… …   Combinatory dictionary

  • screw\ around — v. phr. vulgar avoidable To hang around idly without accomplishing anything, to loaf about, to beat or hack around. You guys are no longer welcome here; all you do is screw around all day …   Словарь американских идиом

  • screw around — 1. to engage in copulation. □ She wants to talk about their relationship and he only wants to screw around. 2. in. to waste time. □ Stop screwing around and get busy. □ John’s always screwing around and never does anything on time …   Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions

  • screw around — I v To have love affairs. (Use your imagination). 1970s II v Waste time. If you screw around all day at this work, you will have to come back again. 1970s …   Historical dictionary of American slang

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