glider

[glahy-der]

noun

1. a motorless, heavier-than-air aircraft for gliding from a higher to a lower level by the action of gravity or from a lower to a higher level by the action of air currents.

2. a porch swing made of an upholstered seat suspended from a steel framework by links or springs.

3. a person or thing that glides.

4. a person who pilots a glider.

glider

/ ˈɡlaɪdə /

noun

1. an aircraft capable of gliding and soaring in air currents without the use of an engine See also sailplane

2. a person or thing that glides

3. another name for flying phalanger

Word History and Origins

Origin of glider¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; glide, -er ¹

Example Sentences

Miss Pidgeon uses the glider service to attend a course at Belfast Met and said she was "quite shocked" the first time it happened.

From BBC

Collected by gliders, floats and drifters, these instruments provide valuable information about the most turbulent region of the hurricane environment, called the boundary layer, where the air meets the ocean.

From BBC

It showed Mr Peng holding on to the glider's controls, with his face and much of his body covered in ice crystals.

From BBC

In his spare time, he regularly flew glider planes, a hobby of his for 50 years.

From Los Angeles Times

Paratroopers and gliders packed with men descended into fierce fighting conditions which resulted in rapid success, but huge loss of life.

From BBC