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air brake

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noun
a brake or system of brakes operated by compressed air.
Aeronautics. a device for reducing the air speed of an aircraft by increasing its drag.
a device for stopping the sails of a windmill by disrupting the flow of air around them.
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Origin of air brake

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
a brake operated by compressed air, esp in heavy vehicles and trains
Also called: dive brake an articulated flap or small parachute for reducing the speed of an aircraft
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
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