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)
-
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
Elements of the Universe: Hydr, Hydro ("Water")
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Sisters" by Raina Telgemeier
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Lyrics from "Umbrella" by Rihanna
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Paul Kinghan is seeking £147,162 from the museum which houses the world-famous hydroplane – the Ruskin Museum in Coniston.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
Ryan Burks helped his son Ryder, 11, in and out of the hydroplane they built through the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum’s J-Hydro program.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 27, 2024
Mr Smith eventually walked away and handed the hydroplane to the Ruskin Museum.
From BBC ● Mar. 10, 2024
She describes being surprised in March the following year when she was asked by the museum's trustees to mediate with Mr Smith, who harboured ambitions to run the hydroplane across the globe.
From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2024
"And don't forget we're going up in the hydroplane tomorrow morning at nine o'clock."
From " The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald
H1 Unlimited called the new boat “one of the most technologically advanced Unlimited hydroplanes ever constructed” in a news release Wednesday, saying it is a “composite craft, utilizing carbon fiber and other advanced materials.”
From Seattle Times ● May 29, 2024
Some participants drove runabouts that slice through the water, while others used hydroplanes, which glide over it.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 27, 2024
Two- and four-cylinder hydroplanes, averaging 8 feet in length and weighing 400 pounds including the driver and engine, sped along the river reaching speeds approaching 60 mph.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 27, 2024
If you’re fascinated with hydroplanes, consider getting a $15 Pit Pass, letting you watch boaters get in and out of their hydroplanes close up and snag autographs.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 3, 2023
This was the work of but a few moments; and half an hour later the two lads soared into the air in one of the Queen Mary's large hydroplanes.
From The Boy Allies at Jutland by Clair W. (Clair Wallace) Hayes
“There was two vehicles traveling toward each other. One hydroplaned on water and it was occupied by four people,” Sgt.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 25, 2023
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
Marmsha Nash, a 19-year-old woman from Fairfield, was killed when her car hydroplaned and hit a utility pole, according to Solano County officials.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 10, 2023
The three were traveling southbound on Interstate 35 in Tonkawa, Okla., near the Kansas border, when their Volkswagen Tiguan hydroplaned and became disabled, blocking the outside lane, according to the department of public safety.
From New York Times ● Apr. 30, 2022
Four days before the hearing, they’d received the results from a study done by a forensic sciences firm in Salt Lake City that had asked the question: Was it likely that Reggie had hydroplaned?
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
The agency also says Tesla made safety updates after the recall fix was sent out, including an attempt to reduce crashes caused by hydroplaning and to reduce collisions in high speed turn lanes.
From Seattle Times ● May 7, 2024
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
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
As to substance, she truly believed that the accident had been caused by the weather, hydroplaning.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
