airborne

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adjective air·borne \ -ˌbȯrn \

Definition of airborne

1 :done or being in the air :being off the ground: such as

a :carried through the air (as by an aircraft)

b :supported especially by aerodynamic forces or propelled through the air by force

a plane becoming airborne

c :transported or carried by the air

airborne allergens

2 :trained for deployment by air and especially by parachute

airborne troops

See airborne defined for English-language learners

See airborne defined for kids

Examples of airborne in a Sentence

Once the plane was airborne I loosened my seat belt.
Thousands of airborne troops parachuted behind enemy lines.

Recent Examples of airborne from the Web

Its Idaho wing will provide airborne and communication support during the eclipse, said Mitzi Breshears, CAP spokeswoman.

— mychel matthews, idahostatesman, "These volunteers will search Idaho from the sky for eclipse trouble," 18 Aug. 2017
In dense Chinese forests populated by dinosaurs 160 million years ago, two furry critters resembling flying squirrels glided from tree to tree, showing that even in such a perilous neighborhood, early mammals had succeeded in going airborne.

— will dunham, Washington Post, "You obviously love great journalism.," 12 Aug. 2017
Active TB Tuberculosis is an airborne bacterial infection that attacks the lungs and can be deadly.

— wendy rigby, Kaiser Health News, "South Texas Fights Tuberculosis One Blood Test At A Time," 8 Aug. 2017
In minutes, the bomber was airborne, lumbering through the Northwest Indiana skies.

— javonte anderson, Post-Tribune, "Wings of Freedom: World War II-era planes grace the skies of Northwest Indiana," 4 Aug. 2017
Amid record-breaking heat and the stench of a filthy Thames, engineers proposed an improved sewer system, still believing the (soon to fall from favour) airborne theory of infection.

— The Economist, "London’s hot and busy summer of 1858," 22 July 2017
According to people with knowledge of the discussion, the airborne group debated how transparent the statement should be, according to the Times’ Maggie Haberman and Peter Baker.

— vanityfair.com, "Inside Trump’s West Wing: Fear, Recriminations, and No More “Conspiracy Bullshit”," 12 July 2017
The skinny: Bellinger changed his stroke in Class A to get the ball airborne.

— tom verducci, SI.com, "Mid-Year Report: Aaron Judge shines, Cubs flail in homer-happy first half of 2017 season," 5 July 2017
Passengers used to watching movies or live sports on their smartphones at home or on the go have become increasingly frustrated when unable to stay connected when airborne.

— robert wall, WSJ, "Inmarsat Aims High on In-Flight Wi-Fi," 29 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'airborne.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of airborne

1637

AIRBORNE Defined for English Language Learners

airborne

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adjective

Definition of airborne for English Language Learners

: in the air : moving or being carried through the air
of soldiers : specially trained to jump from airplanes into enemy territory for battle; also : of or relating to airborne soldiers

AIRBORNE Defined for Kids

airborne

play

adjective air·borne \ ˈer-ˌbȯrn \

Definition of airborne for Students

:moving through the air

airborne dust particles

The plane was airborne.

Medical Dictionary

airborne

play

adjective air·borne \ -ˌbōrn \

medical Definition of airborne

:carried or transported by the air

airborne allergens

airborne bacteria

Learn More about airborne

See words that rhyme with airborne Spanish Central: Translation of airborne Nglish: Translation of airborne for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of airborne for Arabic speakers

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airborne

Definition of airborne

Examples of airborne in a Sentence

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First Known Use of airborne

AIRBORNE Defined for English Language Learners

airborne

Definition of airborne for English Language Learners

AIRBORNE Defined for Kids

airborne

Definition of airborne for Students

Medical Dictionary

airborne

medical Definition of airborne

Learn More about airborne

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airborne

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First Known Use of airborne

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airborne

Definition of airborne for English Language Learners

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Definition of airborne for Students

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airborne

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