airspeed

noun

air·​speed ˈer-ˌspēd How to pronounce airspeed (audio)
: the speed (as of an airplane) with relation to the air compare ground speed

Examples of airspeed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Engine power was set at 103% during the continuous climb, yielding 280 knots true airspeed, which equates to 322.4 miles per hour. Forum News Service, Twin Cities, 26 Aug. 2025 Unable to guide the craft without airspeed data, the autopilot automatically disengaged as it was set to do, returning control of the plane to the pilots. David Autor, The Atlantic, 24 Aug. 2025 These components include a flight controller with autopilot, navigation modules and antennas and an airspeed sensor. Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 July 2025 In 1976, a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird set an airspeed record of 2,193 mph, which has also never been bettered. Ben Oliver, Robb Report, 27 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for airspeed

Word History

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of airspeed was in 1909

Cite this Entry

“Airspeed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/airspeed. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

airspeed

noun
air·​speed -ˌspēd How to pronounce airspeed (audio)
: the speed of an airplane according to measurements of the surrounding air rather than of the ground below
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