- The paddle wheel of a steam vessel.
- Any wheel for propelling machinery or for other purposes, that is made to rotate by the direct action of water; -- called an overshot wheel when the water is applied at the top, an undershot wheel when at the bottom, a breast wheel when at an intermediate point; other forms are called reaction wheel, vortex wheel, turbine wheel, etc.
- A wheel for raising water; a noria or the like.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). water wheel. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/water_wheel/definitions/2081035 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "water wheel" http://smartdefine.org/water_wheel/definitions/2081035 (accessed September 26, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, water wheel, Smart Define, viewed 26 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/water_wheel/definitions/2081035>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "water wheel" 28 May 2011. Web. 26 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/water_wheel/definitions/2081035> |