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airspeed

American

[air-speed] / ˈɛərˌspid /

Or air speed

noun

the forward speed of an aircraft relative to the air through which it moves.

airspeed British

/ ˈɛəˌspiːd /

noun

the speed of an aircraft relative to the air in which it moves Compare groundspeed

"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

Etymology

Origin of airspeed

First recorded in 1905–10; air ¹ + speed

Compare meaning

How does airspeed compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

airspeed vs. groundspeed

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:

airspeed

Furthermore, if anyone asks you the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow, the proper answer is “African or European?”

From Salon ● Jul. 31, 2026

The aircraft, an Airbus A330 wide-body, had been en route from Brazil to Paris when the jet’s Pitot tube, which is used to determine airspeed, iced over.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026

Plaintiffs had accused Air France of insufficiently training its pilots on how to react when the airspeed sensors malfunctioned.

From New York Times ● Apr. 17, 2023

The crash led to changes in regulations for airspeed sensors and in how pilots are trained.

From Washington Times ● Apr. 17, 2023

He knew airspeed was different from groundspeed but not by how much.

From "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023