noun
- Plural of paddlewheel; steamships or boats propelled by large rotating wheels with flat blades that push against the water.
Usage: Historical; commonly used in 19th-century river and coastal transport; Often associated with American riverboats, especially on the Mississippi River
Examples
- The paddlewheelers were the primary means of transportation along the Mississippi River in the 1800s.
- Mark Twain wrote about his experiences aboard paddlewheelers as a riverboat pilot.
- Historic paddlewheelers are now preserved as museums and tourist attractions.
- The distinctive sound of paddlewheelers churning through the water became iconic of American river travel.
- Paddlewheelers could navigate shallow waters better than many other steamship designs.
- Tourists enjoy taking cruises on replica paddlewheelers to experience 19th-century river life.