rotorcraft
noun
ro·tor·craft
ˈrō-tər-ˌkraft 
plural rotorcraft
: an aircraft (such as a helicopter) whose lift is derived principally from rotating airfoils
Examples of rotorcraft in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
At the time, the team, made up of students and graduates, created a full-scale 550-lb rotorcraft capable of lifting a 200-lb payload on a modest USD 320,000 budget.
—
Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 16 Feb. 2026
The noise level measured was around 74 dBA in hover at 50-ft making this probably the quietest rotorcraft at this scale.
—Evan Ackerman, IEEE Spectrum, 13 Feb. 2026
The most recent test campaign, captured in our image of the day, focused on software called Extended Robust Aerial Autonomy, designed to help future Mars rotorcraft navigate somewhat featureless terrain, which was the very challenge that caused problems for Ingenuity during its final flights.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 15 Dec. 2025
Not the least of these is that your average rotorcraft can't manage to lift a payload that weighs more than itself.
—New Atlas, 26 Nov. 2025
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Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 16 Feb. 2026
The noise level measured was around 74 dBA in hover at 50-ft making this probably the quietest rotorcraft at this scale.
—Evan Ackerman, IEEE Spectrum, 13 Feb. 2026
The most recent test campaign, captured in our image of the day, focused on software called Extended Robust Aerial Autonomy, designed to help future Mars rotorcraft navigate somewhat featureless terrain, which was the very challenge that caused problems for Ingenuity during its final flights.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 15 Dec. 2025
Not the least of these is that your average rotorcraft can't manage to lift a payload that weighs more than itself.
—New Atlas, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rotorcraft
Cite this Entry
“Rotorcraft.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rotorcraft. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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