helicopter

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“
Nothing so human as a helicopter could be an enemy when an invading fleet from who-knows-where was just reported ....

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Definitions (8)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (3)

  1. noun An aircraft that derives its lift from blades that rotate about an approximately vertical central axis.
  2. intransitive and transitive verb To go or transport by helicopter.
  3. Word History
    The two Greek words that are the origin of helicopter may be particularly hard for English speakers to spot. Helicopter was borrowed from the French word hélicoptère, a word constructed from Greek heliko- and pteron, "wing.” Heliko-, the combining form of helix, "spiral,” has given us helico-, which can be joined with other words and word forms to create new words. The consonant cluster pt in pteron begins many Greek words but relatively few English words. English speakers unfamiliar with Greek are thus not likely to recognize the word's elements as helico-pter; many analyze the word into the elements heli-copter, as is shown by the clipped form copter.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (1)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (3)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (1)

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Examples (44)

  • Crouching in the door of the helicopter was a young Navy officer and another man, a civilian I vaguely recalled from Stinktown. —  F ;SF; - vol 102 issue 02 - February 2002
  • He ran out of the office, but the helicopter was already lifting off. —  Iris Johansen - Final Target
  • The delivery took place at Eurocopter in Marignane (France) where the helicopter was assembled. —  Skycontrol
  • The person who opened fire on the helicopter was the one who asked to be turned over to the military judiciary. —  Ya Libnan | Lebanon News Live from Beirut
  • Nasrallah: We made another mistake said shooting at the helicopter was a mistake, and defended the killer saying he was "not a criminal". —  From Beirut to the Beltway
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This word has been looked up 84 times.

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Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. French hélicoptère : Greek helix, helik-, spiral; see helix + Greek pteron, wing; see -pter.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. Greek ε=λιξ, (ελικ-), helix, + πτερόν, wing.
 

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/hɛlɪˈkɑptər/
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