lighter-than-air
Americanadjective
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(of an aircraft) weighing less than the air it displaces, hence obtaining lift from aerostatic buoyancy.
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of or relating to lighter-than-air craft.
adjective
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having a lower density than that of air
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of or relating to an aircraft, such as a balloon or airship, that depends on buoyancy for support in the air
Etymology
Origin of lighter-than-air
First recorded in 1900–05
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.
For one thing, the ship gets its lift from helium – a lighter-than-air gas that does not burn.
From NewsForKids.net • Dec. 7, 2023
Beijing also reportedly test-fired a new hypersonic missile from a floating airship in 2018, highlighting the military’s interest and multiple uses for lighter-than-air aircraft.
From Washington Times • Feb. 6, 2023
ZeroAvia instead chose fuel cells, which are essentially a chemical battery that substitutes lighter-than-air hydrogen for the weighty lithium ion.
From New York Times • Nov. 15, 2021
One of least known films in the festival, 1933’s “My Lips Betray,” is a lighter-than-air piece of fluff that starts the weekend off.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2019
In fairness to the Beardmore, it was the only one of the three engines designed for airship use, and part of its heaviness was due to the special requirements of lighter-than-air craft.
From The First Airplane Diesel Engine: Packard Model DR-980 of 1928 by Meyer, Robert B.
Definitions 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.
