quadrotor
noun
quad·ro·tor
ˈkwäd-ˌrō-tər 
plural quadrotors
: a drone (see drone entry 1 sense 2) deriving lift from four separate rotors each oriented about a vertical axis : quadcopter
The University of Zurich and Intel Labs published their research in Science Robotics Journal … describing how they enabled quadrotors to fly autonomously through unknown and complex environments at high speeds using on-board sensing and computation.—
Matt Hamblen
Matt HamblenThe relatively simple and now quite pervasive quadrotor design for drones emphasizes performance and manufacturability …—Evan Ackerman
Evan AckermanExamples of quadrotor in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
By itself, a quadrotor of hopcopter’s size can stay airborne for about 400 seconds, while Hopcopter can hop continuously for more than 20 minutes.
—IEEE Spectrum, 12 Apr. 2024
Drones with four rotors, called quadrotors, outperform birds in open spaces, per the statement.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Nov. 2023
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.
IEEE Spectrum, 12 Apr. 2024
Drones with four rotors, called quadrotors, outperform birds in open spaces, per the statement.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Nov. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Quadrotor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quadrotor. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share