groundspeed

American

[ground-speed] / ˈgraʊndˌspid /

Or ground speed

noun

the speed of an aircraft with reference to the ground.

groundspeed British

/ ˈɡraʊndˌspiːd /

noun

the speed of an aircraft relative to the ground Compare airspeed

"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

Etymology

Origin of groundspeed

First recorded in 1915–20; ground ¹ + speed

Compare meaning

How does groundspeed compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

airspeed vs. groundspeed

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.

Later in this section, we will find the airplane’s groundspeed and bearing, while investigating another approach to problems of this type.

From Textbooks • Feb. 13, 2015

The balloon and the capsule is picking up groundspeed, reaching 82 mph.

From Washington Post • Oct. 14, 2012

But the F-105 contract ends this year, and Republic has been groundspeed slow in diversifying into other defense and space areas.

From Time Magazine Archive

He knew airspeed was different from groundspeed but not by how much.

From "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023