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sailplane

American  
[seyl-pleyn] / ˈseɪlˌpleɪn /

noun

  1. a very light glider that can be lifted by an upward current of air.


verb (used without object)

sailplaned, sailplaning
  1. to soar in a sailplane.

sailplane British  
/ ˈseɪlˌpleɪn /

noun

  1. a high-performance glider

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of sailplane

First recorded in 1920–25; sail + plane 1

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.

See Examples For:

Club members wanted to show me what it felt like to ride in a glider, also called a sailplane, and how it can offer a new and different perspective of the world.

From Washington Times Apr. 12, 2017

With instruction and training, anyone can become a licensed pilot for a sailplane, Grace said.

From Washington Times Apr. 12, 2017

On the hilltop, where the meet was in progress, Soaring Pilot Richard Chichester du Pont appraised the grim thunderheads with eager eyes, then took off in his big, sleek sailplane after an automobile tow.

From Time Magazine Archive

Last week, in the 28th annual national soaring championships at Wichita's municipal airport, the pick of the U.S.'s 2,500 sailplane pilots were living the good life high above the Kansas plains.

From Time Magazine Archive

The Hungarian approached and looked at the sailplane in interest.

From Mercenary by Lloyd Birmingham

As every student of World War II knows, sailplaning as a sport grew up in Germany.

From Time Magazine Archive

In the process, they perfected soaring techniques and wing designs that have influenced sailplaning all over the world.

From Time Magazine Archive

Or take gliding, which its enthusiasts prefer to call "sailplaning."

From Time Magazine Archive

Armed with this discovery, other Germans perfected soaring techniques and wing designs that have influenced sailplaning all over the world.

From Time Magazine Archive

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