Definition

Noun: A sternwheeler is a type of paddle steamer or riverboat where the large paddle wheel used for propulsion is mounted at the stern (the rear) of the vessel.

Usage and Examples

• Noun:
  • The historic sternwheeler offered scenic tours along the river.
  • Before modern engines, sternwheelers were vital for transporting goods on America's inland waterways.
  • We could hear the distinctive churning sound of the sternwheeler's paddle as it approached the dock.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in historical and regional contexts, particularly regarding transportation on rivers like the Mississippi, Missouri, or Ohio in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
• "to be a real sternwheeler": (Figurative, informal) Can be used to describe something old-fashioned, slow-moving, or reminiscent of an earlier era.
  • That old computer is a real sternwheeler compared to the new models.

Variants and Related Words

• Paddle steamer / Paddleboat (n): The general category of steam-powered boats propelled by a paddle wheel. A is a specific type of paddle steamer.
• Side-wheeler (n): A paddle steamer with two paddle wheels, one on each side. This is a different design from a .

Synonyms

• Paddle steamer (general term)
• Riverboat (often, but not always, a )

Antonyms

• Screw steamer (a steamship propelled by a propeller/screw, not a paddle wheel)
• Modern diesel-powered vessel

Related Phrases/Idioms

• While there are no direct idioms using "sternwheeler," the vessel is iconic in American folklore and is associated with phrases like "Mark Twain era" or "riverboat gambler," which evoke the same historical period.

Noun

1. a paddle steamer having the paddle wheel in the stern