hovercraft

American  

[huhv-er-kraft, -krahft, hov-] / ˈhʌv ərˌkræft, -ˌkrɑft, ˈhɒv- /

Or Hovercraft

noun

Chiefly British.

plural

hovercraft

1. ACV.

---

hovercraft British  

/ ˈhɒvəˌkrɑːft /

noun

1. a vehicle that is able to travel across both land and water on a cushion of air. The cushion is produced by a fan continuously forcing air under the vehicle

---

Etymology

Origin of hovercraft

hover + craft

Explanation

A vehicle that hovers while traveling over land and water is called a hovercraft. Do you need to deliver a batch of cookies to the far side of the lake and down a dirt road? Better take the hovercraft! Although it's not always obvious when you watch a hovercraft move, it does actually hover above the ground or water surface while it's moving. Hovercrafts use air pressure and currents to glide freely over difficult terrain, including mud and ice. As it rides on a "cushion of air," a hovercraft is also known as an "air-cushion vehicle" or "ACV." It takes an actual aircraft pilot to operate one.

Example Sentences

Other Taiwan-related naval activity includes renewed construction of Zubr-class large sealift hovercraft and stepped up production of tank landing ships.

From Washington Times • Dec. 20, 2023

Other troops arrived in semi-inflatable rubber boats, with heavy equipment carried to shore on military hovercraft.

From Reuters • Nov. 19, 2023

It's an unmistakable image of the Disney+ show: Mando in his silver armor and face-shielding helmet and Grogu bobbling along, behind or beside with his own gleaming protective hovercraft.

From Salon • Mar. 8, 2023

It added that corvettes, patrol ships, small missile carriers, anti-submarine vessels, minesweepers, and landing hovercraft were among the vessels taking part in the exercises.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 11, 2022

I’m about to mount the ladder to the hovercraft when I remember.

From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins