Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An airplane, such as a floatplane or a flying boat, designed for landing on and taking off from a body of water.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun aircraft, nautical Any aircraft capable of taking off from, and alighting on the surface of water

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb glide on the water in a hydroplane
  • noun an airplane that can land on or take off from water

Etymologies

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Examples

  • That aside, the deployment of the seaplane was the answer Kessler had hoped for.

    Haven Maxim, John R. 1997

  • The seaplane is the chief contribution of Glenn Hammond Curtiss to aviation, and the Navy Curtiss Number Four, which made the first transatlantic flight in history, was designed by him.

    The Age of Invention : a chronicle of mechanical conquest Holland Thompson 1906

  • The seaplane is a joyful thing to behold up close, nuts and bolts emulating the rivets found in real aircraft panels.

    Telegraph.co.uk - Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph Harry de Quetteville 2011

  • Mrs. Clausen had expressed some anxiety about the weather, because they would be flying to the lake up north in a small plane; it was some kind of seaplane, or what Doris had called a floatplane.

    The Fourth Hand Irving, John, 1942- 2001

  • Many tourists arrive at those islands direct from the airport by speedboat or seaplane.

    Diplomacy Falters in Maldives Tom Wright 2012

  • A fourth seaplane had dropped out of the project, and two went down at sea during the journey with no loss of life, leaving Lt. Elmer Stone to become "first across" with a stop in the Azores, when he settled his NC-4 onto Lisbon harbor.

    A Race Across the Pond Dan Ford 2011

  • Next day, an hour's seaplane ride from Sydney winged us to lunch at Jane's home overlooking the Pacific in upscale Palm Beach, less stuffy than the Florida namesake and a fascinating taste of Aussie suburban life.

    Lea Lane: Only Have a Week? A Deluxe Quickie to Oz Lea Lane 2011

  • I didn't argue when I learned that she'd booked a seaplane to fly us back to the mainland.

    Cars, Cats and a Stranger for a Wife Tommy Chong 2011

  • Next day, an hour's seaplane ride from Sydney winged us to lunch at Jane's home overlooking the Pacific in upscale Palm Beach, less stuffy than the Florida namesake and a fascinating taste of Aussie suburban life.

    Lea Lane: Only Have a Week? A Deluxe Quickie to Oz Lea Lane 2011

  • The FAA said the airspace above the Hudson should be divided into clear corridors that would separate aircraft flying over the river from those operating to and from local heliports or seaplane bases.

    Helicopter Crash Kills 1 Sean Gardiner 2011

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