paratrooper
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of paratrooper
Explanation
Paratrooper are soldiers who drop from airplanes via parachutes. A paratrooper isn't anything like a paralegal or paramedic. Rather, a paratrooper is a trooper (soldier) who uses a parachute. Paratroopers drop from airplanes into combat zones and other areas. Paratroopers might bring supplies to an area, or they could be part of an attack on somewhere, such as a terrorist hideout. If you want to be a paratrooper, you'd better be comfortable flying on planes and then jumping out of them. You'd also better hope your parachute opens.
Vocabulary lists containing paratrooper
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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.
Elements of a US paratrooper division are also reportedly on their way.
From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026
The roots of Venezuela’s current system go back to the 14-year rule of former President Hugo Chávez, a former paratrooper elected in 1998 after almost two decades of deepening wealth inequality and stagnant living standards.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026
A British paratrooper killed serving in Ukraine told his family to "be proud" and not "remember him with sadness", in a letter to be opened in the event of his death.
From BBC • Dec. 17, 2025
There are no plans for the soldiers to sing "Happy Birthday, Mr. President," but the Golden Knights, a paratrooper team, will land in front of the reviewing stand and present him with a flag.
From Salon • May 28, 2025
Maddie was trained not as an actual paratrooper, but she learned to fly the plane while people were jumping.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
