airborne

adjective

air·​borne ˈer-ˌbȯrn How to pronounce airborne (audio)
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

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 on the Web In these crashes, the reduced roadway visibility arose from conditions such as sun glare, fog, or airborne dust. Umar Shakir, The Verge, 18 Oct. 2024 Once airborne the fully autonomous drone starts ticking off the myriad waypoints. Sebastian Shukla, CNN, 16 Oct. 2024 That is because the new vaccines activate a branch of the immune system that has evolved for robust, rapid responses against airborne germs. Stephani Sutherland, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024 Buzz kill: Spiders ‘hear’ airborne prey via their legs Smithsonian Education. Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 14 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for airborne 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'airborne.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1637, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of airborne was in 1637

Dictionary Entries Near airborne

Cite this Entry

“Airborne.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/airborne. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

airborne

adjective
air·​borne ˈa(ə)r-ˌbōrn How to pronounce airborne (audio)
-ˌbȯrn,
ˈe(ə)r-
: supported or transported by air
airborne troops

Medical Definition

airborne

adjective
air·​borne -ˌbōrn How to pronounce airborne (audio)
: carried or transported by the air
airborne allergens
airborne bacteria

More from Merriam-Webster on airborne

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