air pocket

American  

noun

1. (not in technical use) a nearly vertical air current that can cause an aircraft to experience a sudden change in altitude, usually a decrease.

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air pocket British  

noun

1. a localized region of low air density or a descending air current, causing an aircraft to suffer an abrupt decrease in height

2. any pocket of air that prevents the flow of a liquid or gas, as in a pipe

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Etymology

Origin of air pocket

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

air pocket

At Tower 208, a component known as a compression paddle was not securely bonded to the pylon, allowing debris to form and creating a dangerous air pocket, the filing said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

Amid a sense of unease that tech-stock prices have risen too far, too fast—and general concerns about massive AI spending—it wouldn’t take much for the Nasdaq 100 to hit an air pocket.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

The cylinder will be placed inside a metallic bell that leaves an air pocket that is supposed to keep moisture out of the inner chamber.

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

I’ve never had an air pocket where the plane drops.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 28, 2022

“She won’t. I’m sure of that. She’s at that falls right now, climbing up a cascade or sitting in an air pocket under an overshoot.”

From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George