flying machine

noun

: an apparatus for navigating the air

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web But after publicly demonstrating their flying machine, the inventors of the airplane became overnight international superstars. Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Oct. 2022 Brisk holiday sales created thousands of new UAV enthusiasts who, bolstered by ever-expanding open software and hardware resources, will work hand-in-hand with professional researchers to unveil some amazing flying machines in 2012. Erico Guizzo, IEEE Spectrum, 22 Mar. 2023 The reflection of Dracula, which means that this is not, in fact, Dracula, but just a guy who has dressed up that way, built a working flying machine, and murdered a lawyer, all for no apparent reason, which is perhaps even scarier than the real Dracula. Colin Stokes, The New Yorker, 31 Oct. 2020 Not if the Field’s sulking, life-size model of a Quetzalcoatlus, a winged predator the size of a Wright flying machine, has anything to say about it. Hannah Edgar, chicagotribune.com, 9 Mar. 2022 Now researchers have taken it a step further, building a flying machine that is controlled by the operator's thoughts. Breanna Draxler, Discover Magazine, 5 June 2013 Reichert and his fellow team leader Cameron Robertson have been working to design a human-powered flying machine for six years. Lisa Raffensperger, Discover Magazine, 12 July 2013 Starting in the late 15th century, for example, Leonardo da Vinci modeled his designs for a flying machine based on the wings of a bird or bat. Alex Orlando, Discover Magazine, 16 Aug. 2020 Historian Weightman covers the setbacks and the successes in five case studies, from the Wright brothers’ flying machine to the ubiquitous barcode. Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 26 Aug. 2015 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flying machine.' 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

1736, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of flying machine was in 1736

Dictionary Entries Near flying machine

Cite this Entry

“Flying machine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flying%20machine. Accessed 8 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

flying machine

noun

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