helicopter
[ hel-i-kop-ter, hee-li- ]
/ ˈhɛl ɪˌkɒp tər, ˈhi lɪ- /
Save This Word!
noun
any of a class of heavier-than-air craft that are lifted and sustained in the air horizontally by rotating wings or blades turning on vertical axes through power supplied by an engine.
verb (used without object)
to fly in a helicopter.
verb (used with object)
to convey in a helicopter.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!
Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between it’s and its in this crafty quiz!
Question 1 of 12
On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.
Words nearby helicopter
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for helicopter
British Dictionary definitions for helicopter
helicopter
/ (ˈhɛlɪˌkɒptə) /
noun
an aircraft capable of hover, vertical flight, and horizontal flight in any direction. Most get all of their lift and propulsion from the rotation of overhead bladesSee also autogiro
verb
to transport (people or things) or (of people or things) to be transported by helicopter
Word Origin for helicopter
C19: from French hélicoptère, from helico- + Greek pteron wing
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