螺丝

• Pinyin: luó sī
• Hanzi breakdown: 螺 = 虫 (creature) + 累 (accumulate/spiral, phonetic); 丝 = two strands of silk — fine thread

Meaning

Screw; a threaded fastener used to join materials. Includes both screws and bolts depending on context.

螺丝刀 (screwdriver), 螺丝钉 (screw), 拧螺丝 (tighten a screw). Metaphorically, 拧紧每一颗螺丝 means ensuring every detail is properly secured. 螺丝松了 colloquially means someone is slightly 'loose in the head.'

Examples

1. 机器运转时发出异响，工程师检查后发现是几颗关键螺丝因长期震动而松动了。 The machine started making an unusual noise. After checking, the engineer found that several key screws had come loose from long-term vibration.
2. 组装家具时，按照说明书的顺序依次拧紧所有螺丝，才能保证结构的稳固性。 When assembling furniture, tighten all the screws in the order shown in the instructions to ensure the structure is stable.
3. 航空零件对螺丝的材质和扭矩要求极为严格，任何细微的偏差都可能带来安全隐患。 Aviation components have extremely strict requirements for screw materials and torque; even a tiny deviation can create a safety risk.

Usage Guide

Context: engineering, manufacturing, daily life, construction

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 精密仪器的维修需要用特制螺丝刀对不同规格的螺丝进行精确操作，稍有不慎就可能损坏内部精密零件。(Repairing precision instruments requires using specially made screwdrivers to operate screws of different specifications with precision; any carelessness could damage the delicate internal components.)
• 工厂质检员逐一核查每条生产线上的关键螺丝是否达到规定扭矩标准，以确保出厂产品的安全性。(Factory quality inspectors checked one by one whether the critical screws on each production line met the specified torque standards to ensure the safety of outgoing products.)

Don't Say

• 将螺丝与螺栓混用 — 螺丝 typically refers to a screw (self-threading, pointed end) or fastener in general usage; 螺栓 specifically refers to a bolt used together with a nut

Origin & History

螺 = 虫 (creature radical) + 累 (spiral, phonetic) — originally a spiral shellfish; 丝 (silk thread) — the spiral thread of a screw

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal