parachute

[ par-uh-shoot ]
See synonyms for: parachuteparachutedparachuting on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a folding, umbrellalike, fabric device with cords supporting a harness or straps for allowing a person, object, package, etc., to float down safely through the air from a great height, especially from an aircraft, rendered effective by the resistance of the air that expands it during the descent and reduces the velocity of its fall.

  1. Horology. a shockproofing device for the balance staff of a watch, consisting of a yielding, springlike support for the bearing at either end.

  2. Informal.

    • the aggregate of benefits, as severance pay or vacation pay, given an employee who is dismissed from a company.

verb (used with object),par·a·chut·ed, par·a·chut·ing.
  1. to drop or land (troops, equipment, supplies, etc.) by parachute.

verb (used without object),par·a·chut·ed, par·a·chut·ing.
  1. to descend by parachute.

Origin of parachute

1
1775–85; <French, equivalent to para-para-2 + chute fall; see chute1

Other words from parachute

  • par·a·chut·ic, adjective
  • par·a·chut·ist, par·a·chut·er, noun

Words Nearby parachute

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use parachute in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for parachute

parachute

/ (ˈpærəˌʃuːt) /


noun
    • a device used to retard the fall of a man or package from an aircraft, consisting of a large fabric canopy connected to a harness

    • (as modifier): parachute troops Sometimes shortened to: chute See also brake parachute

verb
  1. (of troops, supplies, etc) to land or cause to land by parachute from an aircraft

  2. (in an election) to bring in (a candidate, esp someone well known) from outside the constituency

Origin of parachute

1
C18: from French, from para- ² + chute fall

Derived forms of parachute

  • parachutist, noun

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