'corkscrew' originates from the combination of 'cork' and 'screw', where 'cork' refers to the material used to seal bottles and 'screw' refers to the spiral mechanism used to remove it.

'corkscrew' evolved from the earlier term 'cork-drawer', which was used in the 17th century.

Initially, it referred specifically to the tool for removing corks, but it has also come to describe any spiral or twisting motion.