What does "airdrop" mean?
The act of delivering goods, equipment, or personnel by dropping them from an aircraft in flight.
Airdrop
name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·2 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of delivering goods, equipment, or personnel by dropping them from an aircraft in flight.
- Grammar: airdrop is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: aerial delivery, airdrop campaign, airdropping, beam.
- Useful contrasts: collect, download, ground delivery.
- Usage evidence: But Facebook is also likely to carry out what’s known in cryptocurrency circles as an “air drop”, handing out small amounts of currency for free in an effort to kickstart the ecosystem.
How to use "airdrop"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "airdrop" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "airdrop" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "airdrop" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "airdrop" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "airdrop" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "aerial delivery" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "airdrop", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act of delivering goods, equipment, or personnel by dropping them from an aircraft in flight.
- 2 delivery of supplies or equipment or personnel by dropping them by parachute from an aircraft wordnet
- 3 The distribution of free tokens to help bootstrap a new cryptocurrency.
"But Facebook is also likely to carry out what’s known in cryptocurrency circles as an “air drop”, handing out small amounts of currency for free in an effort to kickstart the ecosystem."
Verb
- 1 To deliver goods, equipment, or personnel by dropping them from an aircraft in flight.
"The Mako is powered by a sealed hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell, and includes a small element zero core. While not large enough to nullify the vehicle’s mass, the core can reduce it enough to be safely air-dropped."
- 2 To transfer a file using AirDrop. ditransitive, intransitive
"“Another day another group of french^([sic]) teens trying to AirDrop me memes on the subway,” one woman tweeted. “In a crowd of teens and they keep trying to AirDrop me memes!!!” said another. One young Twitter user joked that she was going to a music festival last weekend “just to AirDrop.”"
- 3 To distribute free tokens to help bootstrap a new cryptocurrency.
- 4 Alternative letter-case form of AirDrop. alt-of
Proper Noun
- 1 A wireless service of Apple Inc. which can transfer files among supported Macintosh computers and iOS devices by means of close-range wireless communication.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"But Facebook is also likely to carry out what’s known in cryptocurrency circles as an “air drop”, handing out small amounts of currency for free in an effort to kickstart the ecosystem."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "airdrop"?
Common synonyms include: aerial delivery, airdrop campaign, airdropping, beam, deliver, distribute.
How do you use "airdrop" in a sentence?
But Facebook is also likely to carry out what’s known in cryptocurrency circles as an “air drop”, handing out small amounts of currency for free in an effort to kickstart the ecosystem.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From air + drop.
Etymology 2
By the analogy of an airdrop, in which items are delivered by dropping them from an aircraft in flight.