lighter-than-air

[lahy-ter-thuhn-air]

adjective

Aeronautics.

1. (of an aircraft) weighing less than the air it displaces, hence obtaining lift from aerostatic buoyancy.

2. of or relating to lighter-than-air craft.

lighter than air

adjective

1. having a lower density than that of air

2. of or relating to an aircraft, such as a balloon or airship, that depends on buoyancy for support in the air

Word History and Origins

Origin of lighter-than-air¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

In 1915, Germany’s lighter-than-air dirigible balloons, called Zeppelins after their designer, Count Ferdinand Zeppelin, began nighttime bombing raids over southern England, causing widespread panic and killing or wounding several thousand people.

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For one thing, the ship gets its lift from helium – a lighter-than-air gas that does not burn.

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At the time, the Navy used lighter-than-air ships for patrol and antisubmarine defense.

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Its balloon program could collapse if the United States decides to notify other countries when lighter-than-air vehicles are heading their way.

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“There can be no question that the tragic loss of the ‘Roma,’ following all too closely upon the disaster to ‘ZR-2,’ has raised doubt as to whether lighter-than-air ships are practicable and safe.

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