helicopter
1he·li·cop·ter
noun \ˈhe-lə-ˌkäp-tər, ˈhē-\Definition of HELICOPTER
Examples of HELICOPTER
- <took a helicopter tour to get a better sense of the grandeur of the Grand Canyon>
Origin of HELICOPTER
Related to HELICOPTER
- Synonyms
- chopper, copter, eggbeater, helo, whirlybird
Rhymes with HELICOPTER
2helicopter
verbDefinition of HELICOPTER
First Known Use of HELICOPTER
helicopter
noun (Concise Encyclopedia)Aircraft with one or more power-driven horizontal rotors that enable it to take off and land vertically, move in any direction, or remain stationary in the air. Since a rotor is essentially a rotating airfoil, a helicopter is often described as a rotary-wing aircraft, in contrast to a conventional fixed-wing airplane. One of the earliest ideas for flying, it appeared in China and Renaissance Europe as a toy and in Leonardo da Vinci's designs. The Frenchman Paul Cornu made the first manned flight in 1907. Igor Sikorsky produced the first successful prototype in 1939, which was followed by rapid development in the U.S. and Europe. It is widely used for civilian transport, rescue work, and various commercial purposes. It has been used by military forces since the Korean War (1950–53) for transporting material, moving assault troops, and directly attacking other forces.
Learn More About HELICOPTER
Browse
Previous Word in the Dictionary: heliconius
All Words Near: helicopter
Seen & Heard 
What made you want to look up helicopter? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).


See 









