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Synonyms

whirlybird

American  
[hwur-lee-burd, wur-] / ˈʰwɜr liˌbɜrd, ˈwɜr- /

noun

Informal.
  1. helicopter.


whirlybird British  
/ ˈwɜːlɪˌbɜːd /

noun

  1. an informal word for helicopter

"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

Etymology

Origin of whirlybird

First recorded in 1950–55; whirl + -y 1 + bird


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:

UConn coach Dan Hurley’s point guard brother, Bobby, was the whirlybird engine of that Duke team, a household name, too.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 30, 2026

As the Scoobies take the slow gondola back down the mountain Matsson flies past in his whirlybird.

From Salon ● Apr. 24, 2023

The sugary whirlybird also features rotor blades and windows made from white chocolate.

From BBC ● Mar. 31, 2021

How about the mailman who recently landed his homemade whirlybird near the base of the Capitol so he could deliver letters of protest to members of Congress: also a Florida man.

From New York Times ● May 10, 2015

It took nearly an hour for the high-speed whirlybird to make it to Washington.

From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein

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