aerostat

noun

aero·​stat ˈer-ō-ˌstat 

: a lighter-than-air aircraft (such as a balloon or blimp) compare aerodyne

Examples of aerostat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Each aerostat also covers a smaller footprint than a satellite, increasing logistical and sustainment demands. — Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 17 Feb. 2026

The future, chock-full of super-stealth warplanes, blinding-fast missiles and network-crippling hacks, will also feature aerostats — specialty blimps, for the uninitiated. — Colin Demarest, Axios, 9 Apr. 2025

Conventional aerostats require a sizable ground crew, upwards of 10 or more people, to operate the tethers and winches needed to send the aerostat up to the necessary altitude and bring it back down. — Tracy Staedter, IEEE Spectrum, 4 Apr. 2018

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French aérostat, probably back-formation from aérostatique "of aerostatics," with -stat (after héliostat heliostat) taken as the Greek agentive element -statēs "one who causes to stand" — more at -stat

First Known Use

1784, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for aerostat

• acrobat
• autocrat
• automat
• bundesrat
• bureaucrat
• butterfat
• caveat
• chemostat
• copycat
• cryostat
• democrat
• diplomat