zeppelin

noun

zep·pe·lin | \ ˈze-p(ə-)lən

Definition of zeppelin

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a rigid airship consisting of a cylindrical trussed and covered frame supported by internal gas cells broadly : airship

Zeppelin

biographical name

Zep·pe·lin | \ ˌtse-pə-ˈlēn

, ˈze-p(ə-)lən \

Definition of Zeppelin (Entry 2 of 2)

Ferdinand (Adolf August Heinrich) 1838–1917 Graf von Zeppelin German general and aeronaut

Examples of zeppelin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Though the zeppelin held the advantage in terms of safety, passenger satisfaction and reliability over long distances, the airplane enjoyed the benefit of sheer quantity, with the United States producing 3,010 civilian aircraft in 1936 alone. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 May 2020 Why did zeppelins use hydrogen instead of helium, the American airship gas of choice? — Keith O’brien, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2020 One of the highlights of the film takes place in the German zeppelin airship. — Susan King, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2020 Now scientists and others are starting to look at zeppelins as something more than hovering billboards like the Goodyear Blimp. — April White, Smithsonian, 22 Nov. 2019 The age of huge, ocean-crossing zeppelins came to an end in 1937, when the Hindenburg — the largest craft of its type ever built — erupted in flames while landing in New Jersey. — NBC News, 19 Aug. 2019 Doehner was only 8 years old when the famous zeppelin erupted into flames and crashed while docking in Lakehurst, New Jersey, on May 6, 1937, according to his obituary. — Fox News, 17 Nov. 2019 People travel by helicopter, hot-air balloon and metal zeppelins. — James Poniewozik, New York Times, 1 Nov. 2019 This was a time when zeppelins and other inflatable airships were being constructed, and places once beyond reach seemed attainable. — David James, Anchorage Daily News, 26 Oct. 2019

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