Main Entry: ¹para·chute

Pronunciation: \ˈper-ə-ˌshüt, ˈpa-rə-\

Function: noun

Etymology: French, from para- (as in parasol) + chute fall — more at chute

Date: 1785

1 : a device for slowing the descent of a person or object through the air that consists of a fabric canopy beneath which the person or object is suspended
2 : patagium
3 : a device or structure suggestive of a parachute in form, use, or operation

— para·chut·ic \ˌper-ə-ˈshü-tik, ˌpa-rə-\ adjective