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Synonyms

helicopter

American  
[hel-i-kop-ter, hee-li-] / ˈhɛl ɪˌkɒp tər, ˈhi lɪ- /

noun

  1. any of a class of heavier-than-air craft that are lifted and sustained in the air horizontally by rotating wings or blades turning on vertical axes through power supplied by an engine.

verb (used without object)

  1. to fly in a helicopter.

verb (used with object)

  1. to convey in a helicopter.

helicopter British  
/ ˈhɛlɪˌkɒptə /

noun

  1. an aircraft capable of hover, vertical flight, and horizontal flight in any direction. Most get all of their lift and propulsion from the rotation of overhead blades See also autogiro

"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

verb

  1. to transport (people or things) or (of people or things) to be transported by helicopter

"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 helicopter

From the French word hélicoptère, dating back to 1885–90. See helico-, -pter

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.

The pilots of an Apache attack helicopter were suspended this week after doing a flyby of Kid Rock’s home in Tennessee.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

The defense secretary reversed the suspension of helicopter aircrew who flew by Kid Rock’s home.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Kid Rock -- whose real name is Robert Ritchie -- posted a video on X over the weekend showing a helicopter hovering near his mountaintop home's swimming pool as he clapped and saluted.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

The incident is the latest fatal crash in Kauai involving a tour helicopter.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

He remarried, had a son, Francis Gary Powers Jr., and became a helicopter pilot and reporter for a Los Angeles television station.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

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.