helicopter
Americannoun
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has helicopteredperfect 3rd person singular
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have helicopteredperfect
-
have been helicopteringperfect progressive
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are helicopteringprogressive
-
helicopteringparticiple
-
am helicopteringprogressive 1st person singular
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is helicopteringprogressive 3rd person singular
-
has been helicopteringperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
helicopterssingular 3rd person
Past
-
had helicopteredperfect
-
had been helicopteringperfect progressive
-
was helicopteringprogressive singular
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helicopteredsimple
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helicopteredparticiple
-
were helicopteringprogressive plural
Future
Etymology
Origin of helicopter
From the French word hélicoptère, dating back to 1885–90. See helico-, -pter
Explanation
A helicopter is a flying vehicle with a system of rotors that lift and propel it. In some cities, police officers patrol in helicopters. In some suburbs, wealthy people even commute by helicopter. Like airplanes, helicopters travel through the air — but unlike airplanes, they don't have wings. Most helicopters have a large rotor blade on top that creates lift by spinning rapidly. Smaller rotors help the helicopter move and steer. Hospitals use helicopters for transporting patients in crisis, for whom an ambulance might not move fast enough. The word comes from Greek roots, helix, "spiral," and pteron, "wing."
Vocabulary lists containing helicopter
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Army Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
A helicopter was used to reach the patient and allow paramedics to provide urgent medical care.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
Iran didn’t claim to have downed the helicopter, as it has with other U.S. aircraft.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
In hardest-hit Sarangani province, some areas remain accessible only by helicopter while fears of aftershocks were slowing rescue efforts, local officials told reporters at a Tuesday briefing.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
It would be fun to ride in a helicopter.
From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
