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\ ˈdrōg 
\
\Definition of drogue
1 : sea anchor
2a : a cylindrical or funnel-shaped device towed as a target by an airplane
b : a small parachute for stabilizing or decelerating something (such as an astronaut's capsule) or for pulling a larger parachute out of stowage
3 : a funnel-shaped device which is attached to the end of a long flexible hose suspended from a tanker airplane in flight and into which the probe of another airplane is fitted so as to receive fuel from the tanker
Examples of drogue in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web Once safely away, the capsule is designed to follow a relatively normal descent trajectory, deploying drogue chutes to stabilize the craft and then four large main parachutes, at an altitude of about 6,500 feet, to lower the capsule into the ocean.
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William Harwood, CBS News, "SpaceX Crew Dragon abort system a major boost for crew safety," 26 May 2020 First the drogue and then the main parachutes will deploy, which should happen about five minutes after launch.
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Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "SpaceX delays Crew Dragon escape test until Sunday [Updated]," 18 Jan. 2020 Those parachutes come in three pulses: two drogue parachutes, three pilot parachutes and three main parachutes.
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Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, "Boeing’s Next-Generation Starliner Vehicle Passes Major Safety Test," 4 Nov. 2019 If all goes well, two drogue chutes will deploy at an altitude of about three miles, stabilizing the ship and slowing it down before the Crew Dragon's four main parachutes deploy about a minute later at an altitude of just one mile or so.
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William Harwood, CBS News, "SpaceX delays dramatic Crew Dragon abort test due to high winds and rough seas," 18 Jan. 2020 Flipping around and jettisoning its forward heat shield, a series of small drogue and pilot chutes deployed, stabilizing the craft and pulling out two of three main parachutes.
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William Harwood, CBS News, "Boeing identifies rigging problem with Starliner parachute," 7 Nov. 2019 After jettisoning its forward heat shield, drogue parachutes were to deploy, followed by the spacecraft's three main parachutes about 26 seconds into the flight.
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William Harwood, CBS News, "Boeing readies Starliner capsule for critical launch abort test," 4 Nov. 2019 In 2016 off the coast of Okinawa, a Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey clipped a refueling drogue during a nighttime exercise.
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Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Watch The Harrowing Way A Osprey Refuels in Midair," 13 Mar. 2019 Just over a half -hour later, Dragon reentered Earth’s atmosphere, aero-braking to slow down, then popped two drogue parachutes.
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Joe Pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "How It Works: SpaceX Dragon Capsule Splashdown and Recovery," 8 Mar. 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'drogue.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Time Traveler for drogue
The first known use of drogue was in 1875
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