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

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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 company did not specify how high the rocket got, but video showed the booster descending under a parachute and landing about 15 minutes later a short distance from the pad. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "Rocket Report: Exos flies, China sets launch record, new Falcon Heavy data," 31 Aug. 2018 The idea was for airborne forces, dropped by parachute and gliders, to take a series of bridges over the Rhine, then to be quickly reinforced by ground units arriving by road. — The Economist, "Anthony Beevor’s new history of Arnhem," 24 May 2018 If all goes well, the three-legged InSight will descend by parachute and engine firings onto a flat equatorial region of Mars —believed to be free of big, potentially dangerous rocks – on Nov. 26. — Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, "NASA launches InSight spacecraft on $1B mission to peek below the surface of Mars," 5 May 2018 Adeline Gray poses in her signature white flight suit, before making her historic jump with a nylon parachute at Brainard Field in Hartford. — Annie Gentile, Courant Community, "Historical Society Remembers Jump Into Fame," 15 Mar. 2018 The atmosphere will slow the lander significantly, but InSight will need to deploy a supersonic parachute to slow even further. — Loren Grush, The Verge, "Watch NASA engineers track the harrowing landing of a spacecraft on Mars today," 26 Nov. 2018 Wearing a parachute in case of an emergency, as well as a Mae West life vest and steel helmet, Pratt was sitting in the front passenger seat of his jeep, which had been secured inside the glider. — Meg Jones, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "The highest-ranking U.S. soldier killed on D-Day in Normandy was a University of Wisconsin alum," 4 June 2018 The rapper once again shed his beloved skinny jeans for pants with parachute-like proportions, this time in a shade of blinding neon yellow. — Liana Satenstein, Vogue, "Offset, the Rapper, Goes Raver at Paris Fashion Week Men's," 15 Jan. 2019 Gigi Hadid donned a fitted floral jumpsuit with a coordinating parachute by Mary Katrantzou on the Victoria's Secret 2018 runway last night, but that wasn't the end of her moment with a slim silhouette. — Harper's Bazaar Staff, Harper's BAZAAR, "Gigi Hadid Won the Victoria's Secret After Party Red Carpet," 9 Nov. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The space agency will attempt another Martian landing today when its latest robotic probe, the InSight Lander, attempts to parachute down to the red planet at around 3 p.m. EST. — Sam Blum, Popular Mechanics, "NASA's InSight Probe Has Successfully Landed on Mars," 26 Nov. 2018 Sadie Stanley is parachuting her way into the spotlight as Kim Possible in the live-action adaptation of the beloved animated series. — Tamara Fuentes, Seventeen, "13 Fun Facts About "Kim Possible" Star Sadie Stanley That’ll Make Her Your New Celeb Obsession," 8 Feb. 2019 The weapon could be carried via a special backpack harness, towed across a snowy landscape, or parachuted into enemy territory. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The U.S. Military Once Had Nukes That Could Fit in a Backpack," 14 Jan. 2019 But a journalist who parachutes into the Sixth District, expecting to write about tax policy or health care, soon ends up pondering stranger questions: Is civility simply outmoded in 2018, the equivalent of bringing a flintlock musket to a gunfight? — Kyle Peterson, WSJ, "A House Majority by ‘Any Means Necessary’," 19 Oct. 2018 Due to the isolated location, the response from firefighting crews has been slow, but ground crews are hiking to the locations and some firefighters are parachuting in to fight the Numa Ridge Fire. — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "Glacier National Park Wildfires Force Evacuations," 13 Aug. 2018 But there was always something separating us, the international kids who had been parachuted into this country for a few years, from that street life. — Sebastian Modak, Condé Nast Traveler, "A Love Letter to Nasi Goreng, Jakarta's Street Food Staple," 1 Oct. 2018 Good thing that Wood is used to parachuting into unexpected conditions and improvising. — Phuc Pham, WIRED, "When Fornite's Biggest Stars Congregated Under the LA Sun," 17 June 2018 Democratic lawyer Marc Elias has parachuted in to run Senator Nelson’s vote-counting, and Mr. Elias is making much of the oddity that 24,000 ballots in Broward County voted for Governor but not Senate. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "A Broward County Senate Steal?," 9 Nov. 2018

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.

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Statistics for parachute

Last Updated

23 Apr 2019

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Time Traveler for parachute

The first known use of parachute was in 1784

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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