heli-

¹ American  

1. variant of helio- before a vowel.

   helianthus.

---

heli- ² American  

1. a combining form representing helicopter in compound words.

   helidrop; helilift; helitaxi.

---

heli- British  

combining form

1. helicopter

   heliport

---

Usage

What does heli- mean? Heli- is a combining form used like a prefix that has two distinct senses. The first of these senses is “sun,” and this form of heli- is occasionally used in a variety of scientific and technical terms. Heli- comes from Greek hḗlios, meaning “sun.” The Latin cognate, sōl, is the source of several words related to the sun, such as solar and solstice. The second of these senses is “helicopter,” and this form of heli- is occasionally used in a variety of technical terms. Heli- comes from the word helicopter in a bit of a roundabout way. The word helicopter comes from French helicopètre and is a combination of two forms: helico-, meaning "spiral," and -pter, meaning "one with wings." However, helicopter is abbreviated using only the first syllable, heli-. Find out more about the word helicopter at our entry for the word. What are variants of heli- with the sense “sun”?Heli- is a variant of helio-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article for helio-.

Etymology

Origin of heli-

By analysis of helicopter as heli- (an assumed combining form with -i- ) + -copter; copter

Example Sentences

And last year the resort partnered with Whisper Ridge, an adjacent heli- and cat-skiing outfit that operates on 70,000 acres; book a trip directly at the resort.

From New York Times • Feb. 18, 2020