airbag
Americannoun
-
a bag mounted in the interior of a motor vehicle, cushioning the seat occupant by inflating automatically in the event of collision.
-
a very large inflatable safety or cushioning device, as to protect a spacecraft during a landing.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of airbag
First recorded in 1965–70; air 1 ( def. ) + bag ( def. )
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.
It’s the genre equivalent of an airbag that deploys already half-deflated.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
In her crash last Sunday, Vonn’s airbag deployed.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 15, 2026
DNA traces were discovered on the airbag – and became the conclusive proof that Challis was at the wheel at the time of the crash.
From BBC • Nov. 25, 2025
Based on data collected by Waymo, their driverless vehicles had 81% fewer airbag deployment crashes, 78% fewer injury-causing crashes and 62% fewer police-reported crashes than traditional vehicles driving the same distance.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2025
Dave had the airbag and made out okay.
From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin
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.
