Skrue

Skrue is the Danish term for the common fastener known in English as a screw. It consists of a helical thread wound around a cylinder, designed to convert rotational motion into linear motion and to hold components together when driven into a pre-drilled hole or into a material that can form threads. Screws are typically used with a matching nut or with a threaded receptacle; many are designed to cut or form threads as they are installed.

Common screw types include wood screws, machine screws, self-tapping or self-drilling screws, sheet-metal screws, lag screws, and drywall screws. Head shapes vary, including slotted, Phillips, Pozidriv, Torx, square drive, and hex; drive types include slotted, cross-shaped, star-shaped, or hex. Countersunk and pan heads are among the common heads, chosen to sit flush or protrude as required.

Screws are made from steel alloys, stainless steel, brass, or plastics, and are finished to resist corrosion. Finishes include zinc plating, galvanization, black oxide, and ceramic or polymer coatings. Thread forms and pitch are standardized in different regions; metric screws use ISO metric threads (M-diameter with a given pitch), while many English-speaking countries use UNC or UNF thread forms.

Standards and manufacturing practices enable interchangeability of screws and nuts across industries. Size is typically expressed by diameter and pitch, for example M6 x 1.0 or 1/4-20, though exact systems vary by region. The Danish term skrue reflects the language family and is cognate with related Scandinavian words for screw.