hydroplane
Americannoun
-
hydroplanes
plural
-
a seaplane.
-
an attachment to an airplane enabling it to glide on the water.
-
a light, high-powered boat, especially one with hydrofoils or a stepped bottom, designed to plane along the surface of the water at very high speeds.
-
a horizontal rudder for submerging or elevating a submarine.
verb (used without object)
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hydroplanes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
hydroplaned,
past participle, past
-
hydroplaning
present participle
-
to skim over water in the manner of a hydroplane.
-
to travel in a hydroplane.
-
Also (of a vehicular tire or vehicle) to ride on a film of water on a wet surface with a resulting decrease in braking and steering effectiveness.
noun
-
a motorboat equipped with hydrofoils or with a shaped bottom that raises its hull out of the water at high speeds
-
an attachment to an aircraft to enable it to glide along the surface of water
-
another name (esp US) for a seaplane
-
a horizontal vane on the hull of a submarine for controlling its vertical motion
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
hydroplanesimple
-
hydroplanessimple
-
have hydroplanedperfect
-
has hydroplanedperfect
-
am hydroplaningprogressive
-
are hydroplaningprogressive
-
is hydroplaningprogressive
-
have been hydroplaningperfect progressive
-
has been hydroplaningperfect progressive
Past
-
hydroplanedsimple
-
had hydroplanedperfect
-
was hydroplaningprogressive
-
were hydroplaningprogressive
-
had been hydroplaningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of hydroplane
Explanation
A hydroplane is an aircraft that's designed to land on water, or a boat that skims lightly across the water's surface. When you hydroplane, it's more likely to be in a car that's slipping on a wet road. The noun hydroplane always refers to a vehicle, either a speedboat that seems to hover over the surface of water as it travels, or a plane that can take off and land on an ocean or lake. Used as a verb, hydroplane describes what these vehicles do — or what a fast-moving car does on a very wet surface, losing traction as it begins to float and slide. The prefix hydro- means "water" in Greek.
Vocabulary lists containing hydroplane
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"Sisters" by Raina Telgemeier
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Lyrics from "Umbrella" by Rihanna
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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.
See Examples For:
Donald Campbell died aged 45 when the hydroplane flipped into the air and disintegrated as he attempted a water speed record.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
Mr Smith eventually walked away and handed the hydroplane to the Ruskin Museum.
From BBC ● Mar. 10, 2024
The hydroplane was lifted from the lake in 2001 and restored by Tyneside engineer Bill Smith.
From BBC ● Mar. 10, 2024
It’s been a long time since the Miss Madison unlimited hydroplane racing team had a season like this.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 6, 2023
It was the first time he had called on me though I had gone to two of his parties, mounted in his hydroplane, and, at his urgent invitation, made frequent use of his beach.
From " The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald
A handful of vintage hydroplanes sat at the boat dock Friday morning when I arrived for my ride.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 5, 2023
His son, Brent Hall Jr., 12, is competing in the J-stock hydroplanes.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 4, 2023
Stocklin didn’t want to kick the bucket without fulfilling his dream of racing hydroplanes.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 4, 2023
I would get some scraps of wood and build my own hydroplanes and then race them up and down the streets as those Seafair Races gave me an excuse to be a tomboy.
From Seattle Times ● May 7, 2023
Old Grimshaw had not much use for hydroplanes, he had told Dave.
From Dave Dashaway and His Hydroplane by Roy Rockwood
Coming toward them, Coddington lost control and the Kia hydroplaned, then barreled over the median, according to the California Highway Patrol.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 2024
Solomon Mensah’s Hyundai Sonata hydroplaned as he slammed on the brakes to avoid a bus that had suddenly stopped ahead of him.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 23, 2023
In addition to the drowning deaths, a 38-year-old man in Lake County died on Wednesday when his car hydroplaned.
From New York Times ● Sep. 30, 2022
The next batter, Andrew Vaughan, hit a groundball that hydroplaned to third baseman Eugenio Suarez, who misplayed it.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 13, 2022
The young man told Vernon that his car had hydroplaned.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
In Garfield County, Okla., severe weather destroyed some barns, felled trees and sent cars hydroplaning into ditches, but no one was injured, said Mike Honigsberg, the emergency management director for the county.
From New York Times ● May 6, 2024
A second storm-related death occurred when a teen driver’s car crashed after hydroplaning in the Solano County city of Fairfield, the Fairfield Police Department said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 5, 2023
There have also been several car crashes reported, many due to hydroplaning, according to WAPT-TV.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 24, 2022
The trickiest section to drive was the long, high-speed straight as the drivers risked hydroplaning or not being able to see through the spray kicked up by the cars around them.
From Washington Times ● May 23, 2021
The “dynamics of the vehicles involved in the accident strongly indicate that the vehicles had much higher levels of traction than would be available in a hydroplaning situation.”
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
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