air brake


noun
  1. a brake or system of brakes operated by compressed air.

  2. Aeronautics. a device for reducing the air speed of an aircraft by increasing its drag.

  1. a device for stopping the sails of a windmill by disrupting the flow of air around them.

Origin of air brake

1
An Americanism dating back to 1870–75

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use air brake in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for air brake

air brake

noun
  1. a brake operated by compressed air, esp in heavy vehicles and trains

  2. Also called: dive brake an articulated flap or small parachute for reducing the speed of an aircraft

  1. a rotary fan or propeller connected to a shaft to reduce its speed

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