airbag

American  

[air-bag] / ˈɛərˌbæg /

Or air bag

noun

• airbags
  plural

1. a bag mounted in the interior of a motor vehicle, cushioning the seat occupant by inflating automatically in the event of collision.

2. a very large inflatable safety or cushioning device, as to protect a spacecraft during a landing.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• airbags
  plural

Etymology

Origin of airbag

First recorded in 1965–70; air ¹ ( def. ) + bag ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

airbag airbags

The airbag issue is a bit of a MacGuffin.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026

Sure, you could argue that had the crash been worse, the airbag would have been deployed, resulting in another $1,000 in costs.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026

The team used a specialist retrieval system to access the airbag control module – where a snapshot of electronic data, triggered by the crash, revealed speeds, accelerator position, steering wheel angle and brake pedal application.

From BBC ● Nov. 25, 2025

Her father was killed in July 2024 when his airbag exploded.

From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2025

Akira pushed her airbag out of the way.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

Fortunately, the airbags didn’t deploy, and as far as we can tell, that’s the extent of the visible damage.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026

Autoliv stock jumps after the maker of airbags and seatbelts backs its full-year guidance.

From Barron's ● Apr. 17, 2026

The authors add that bringing spacecraft and space stations safely back to Earth for reuse would require better recovery systems, including technologies such as parachutes and airbags.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 3, 2025

The vehicle’s airbags did not deploy on impact, Tracy said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 19, 2025

Its airbags had gone off too, and she couldn’t see inside.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz