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sailplane

American  
[sayl-playn] / ˈseɪlˌpleɪn /

noun

  1. a very light glider that can be lifted by an upward current of air.


verb (used without object)

sailplaned, sailplaning
  1. to soar in a sailplane.

sailplane British  
/ ˈseɪlˌpleɪn /

noun

  1. a high-performance glider

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of sailplane

First recorded in 1920–25; sail + plane 1


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.

See Examples For:

OK, the primary reason I wrote that is because I had become a sailplane fanatic.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026

With instruction and training, anyone can become a licensed pilot for a sailplane, Grace said.

From Washington Times ● Apr. 12, 2017

Club members wanted to show me what it felt like to ride in a glider, also called a sailplane, and how it can offer a new and different perspective of the world.

From Washington Times ● Apr. 12, 2017

He is his own best customer, and was the first pilot to fly a sailplane across Mount Rainier.

From Time Magazine Archive

He had promised to take her soaring in his sailplane.

From Frigid Fracas by Mack Reynolds

Or take gliding, which its enthusiasts prefer to call "sailplaning."

From Time Magazine Archive

As every student of World War II knows, sailplaning as a sport grew up in Germany.

From Time Magazine Archive

In the process, they perfected soaring techniques and wing designs that have influenced sailplaning all over the world.

From Time Magazine Archive

Armed with this discovery, other Germans perfected soaring techniques and wing designs that have influenced sailplaning all over the world.

From Time Magazine Archive

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