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• power dive
  power dive

  noun

  a dive, especially a steep dive, by an aircraft in which the engine or engines are delivering thrust at or near full power.
• power-dive
  power-dive

  verb (used with or without object)

  to cause to perform or to perform a power dive.

power dive

¹ American  

noun

Aeronautics.

1. a dive, especially a steep dive, by an aircraft in which the engine or engines are delivering thrust at or near full power.

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power-dive ² American  

[pou-er-dahyv] / ˈpaʊ ərˌdaɪv /

verb (used with or without object)

Aeronautics.

power-dived, power-dove, power-dived, power-diving

1. to cause to perform or to perform a power dive.

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power dive British  

noun

1. a steep dive by an aircraft with its engines at high power

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verb

1. to cause (an aircraft) to perform a power dive or (of an aircraft) to perform a power dive

Etymology

Origin of power dive¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Origin of power-dive²

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

The chins fell agape as his plane, nose down, roared earthward in a power dive, pulled up and over in a perfectly executed loop.

From Time Magazine Archive

I, being a Coast Artilleryman of the Regular Army, much interested in and having served with the Antiaircraft Artillery, rise to ask two questions, to wit: What is a power dive of attack?

From Time Magazine Archive

Many military planes can plunge in a power dive, faster & faster until the needle of the airspeed indicator creeps close to the dread red mark of "compressibility."

From Time Magazine Archive

Suddenly the leader went into a power dive and pointed directly where I was standing.

From Time Magazine Archive

Mars snarled, breathed smoke and made a power dive.

From Pagan Passions by Stanley, Robert