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.

---

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.

---

power dive British  

noun

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

---

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

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

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

The pictures show the hood being driven into Pilot Bayles' face by the wind pressure during his power dive at the beginning of the straightaway.

From Time Magazine Archive

Mars snarled, breathed smoke and made a power dive.

From Pagan Passions by Stanley, Robert