parachute

noun

para·chute | \ ˈper-ə-ˌshüt

, ˈpa-rə-\

Definition of parachute

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a device for slowing the descent of a person or object through the air that consists of a fabric canopy beneath which the person or object is suspended

2 : patagium

3 : a device or structure suggestive of a parachute in form, use, or operation

parachute

verb

parachuted; parachuting

Definition of parachute (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to convey by means of a parachute

intransitive verb

: to descend by means of a parachute

Other Words from parachute Example Sentences Learn More about parachute

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of parachute in a Sentence

Noun

The pilot was wearing a parachute. The supplies were dropped by parachute.

Verb

The soldiers parachuted in and quickly hid their gear. New troops parachuted into enemy territory. We will parachute supplies in after you arrive. New troops were parachuted into enemy territory.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The robot cargo parachute, which can carry up to 500 pounds, could lighten the burden for parachuting humans, Williams said. — Sabrina Schnur, BostonGlobe.com, "US Army researchers in Natick display new technology at the State House," 19 June 2019 Marcel brought out a square yard of a parachute, cut off a piece and gave it to Tom. — Karina Bland, azcentral, "His father wouldn't talk about D-Day. The son had to know the story," 16 June 2019 To get to the surface safely, InSight had to autonomously deploy a supersonic parachute, gather radar measurements, and ignite its thrusters all at the right time. — Loren Grush, The Verge, "NASA’s InSight successfully lands on Mars after ‘seven minutes of terror’," 26 Nov. 2018 Six minutes later, the crew cabin exited the region of maximum heating from atmospheric friction and deployed its parachutes to slow from a velocity of about 515 mph to a much more sedate 16 mph or so. — William Harwood, CBS News, "3 station fliers complete "once-in-a-lifetime ride" home after 204-day stay in orbit," 24 June 2019 The canister would deploy its parachute, and high-flying spy planes would pick it up mid-air. — Eric Niiler, WIRED, "Cold War Spy Photos Show How Fast Himalaya Glaciers Are Melting," 19 June 2019 The kite developed by SkySails, a German firm, is a rectangular parachute-like structure attached to an 800-metre-long tether. — The Economist, "An innovative approach to making electricity from the wind," 7 June 2019 Fortnite is, at its core, a game where 100 players parachute on to a map, with the goal of being the last person standing. — Andrew Webster, The Verge, "Fortnite moves so fast that I’ve already forgotten about the cube," 27 Sep. 2018 Instead, he was asked to join a parachute regiment’s Pathfinder team: those who jump first and guide those who follow. — Ron Grossman, Houston Chronicle, "IN THEIR OWN WORDS," 9 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Gerald had been shot in the chest while parachuting over Sainte-Mère-Eglise, which would become the first town liberated after the D-Day invasion. — Chicago Tribune Staff, orlandosentinel.com, "For 73 years, a woman kept her wedding dress made from her husband’s WWII parachute. Now it will be displayed in a museum.," 7 July 2019 The Black Daggers out of Fort Bragg, under the U.S. Army’s Special Operations Command, will parachute onto the field to deliver the ball for the first pitch. — Tad Vezner, Twin Cities, "These WWII vets live under same roof on St. Paul’s East Side, will be honored by Minnesota Twins," 4 July 2019 Mistry speculated that data scientists may be growing increasingly frustrated because of the greater number of business leaders parachuting into A.I. projects. — Jonathan Vanian, Fortune, "Here's How Much Companies Are Spending on Artificial Intelligence: Eye on A.I.," 18 June 2019 While Allied airborne forces parachuted into drop zones across northern France, ground troops landed on five assault beaches – Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword. — Fox News, "How D-Day technology made Operation Overlord a success," 7 June 2019 The hijacker ultimately parachuted from the Boeing 727 with $200,000 in ransom, never to be seen again. — oregonlive.com, "D.B. Cooper search leads to Bachelor Island; ex-FBI agent says suspect will get away with it ‘unless he confesses’," 27 June 2019 Chad Bettis, the former starter who has been so good in a long-reliever role, appeared to be in control after parachuting in to rescue Hoffman. — Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, "Rockies played free baseball down in the Arizona desert and walked away with sweep of D-backs," 20 June 2019 In the fun clip, after Craig’s character picks up the Queen from Buckingham Palace, stunt actors playing them helicoptered across London and parachuted into the venue. — Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE.com, "Charles...Prince Charles! Queen's Son Bonds with Daniel Craig Over Cars on Set of James Bond," 20 June 2019 The robot cargo parachute, which can carry up to 500 pounds, could lighten the burden for parachuting humans, Williams said. — Sabrina Schnur, BostonGlobe.com, "US Army researchers in Natick display new technology at the State House," 19 June 2019

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

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about parachute

Dictionary Entries near parachute

Statistics for parachute

Last Updated

16 Jul 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for parachute

The first known use of parachute was in 1784

See more words from the same year

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for parachute

parachute

noun

English Language Learners Definition of parachute

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a piece of equipment usually made of cloth that is fastened to people or things and that allows them to fall slowly and land safely after they have jumped or been dropped from an aircraft

parachute

verb

English Language Learners Definition of parachute (Entry 2 of 2)

: to jump from an aircraft using a parachute

: to drop (someone or something) from an aircraft using a parachute

See the full definition for parachute in the English Language Learners Dictionary

parachute

noun

para·chute | \ ˈper-ə-ˌshüt