1. a large wheel with flat blades or buckets around its rim, used to propel a boat through water
Usage: commonly found on steamboats and riverboats; can be mounted at the stern (rear) or on the sides of a vessel

Examples

• The old steamboat was powered by a large paddlewheel at its stern.
• Paddlewheels were essential to river transportation in the 19th century.
• The captain watched as the paddlewheel churned through the muddy river.
• Modern riverboat tours often feature replica paddlewheels for authenticity.
• The paddlewheel's blades dipped into the water with rhythmic splashes.