airliner

American  

[air-lahy-ner] / ˈɛərˌlaɪ nər /

noun

1. a passenger aircraft operated by an airline.

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airliner British  

/ ˈɛəˌlaɪnə /

noun

1. a large passenger aircraft

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Etymology

Origin of airliner

First recorded in 1905–10; air ¹ + liner ¹

Explanation

If you've ever taken a trip that began or ended at an airport, then chances are that your journey included flying on an airliner — a big, commercial airplane that transports passengers across cities, countries, and continents. An airliner plays a crucial role in connecting people and places, making travel over long distances accessible and convenient. A nonstop trip from New York to Hawaii — a distance of more than 5,000 miles — can be made in about 12 hours on an airliner. Early airliners had spacious seats and legroom, along with amenities like piano lounges. Most of today's airliners have fewer amenities and more seats for paying passengers. Smaller airliners carry about 100–135 passengers, while larger airliners can carry up to about 850 passengers!

Example Sentences

The Airliner: Bar with regular live programming and events in Lincoln Heights.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 4, 2021

“Wearing masks makes a huge difference,” says Qingyan Chen, professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University and a former director of the FAA’s Airliner Cabin Environment Research Center.

From Slate • Sep. 24, 2020

Jim Rinella, who owns The Airliner bar and restaurant, said the 76-year-old landmark across the street from campus “had zero revenue the whole month of April.”

From New York Times • Sep. 6, 2020

At the Airliner the night before, a chant breaks out: “Bar-clay, Bar-clay!”

From The Guardian • Mar. 28, 2017

Guitarist Miller came out of the San Francisco rock scene and became a dependable maker of pop hits like "Take the Money and Run," ''Fly Like an Eagle," ''Jet Airliner" and "Jungle Love."

From US News • Dec. 17, 2015

Related Words

• aircraft
• cab
• jet
• plane
• ship