What does "glider" mean?
One who glides.
Glider
/ˈɡlaɪdɚ/ noun
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: One who glides.
- Grammar: glider is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: sailplane, airplane, boat, canoe.
- Useful contrasts: copters, engine powered aircraft, helicopters.
- Usage evidence: The glider soared high into the air.
How to use "glider"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "glider" 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 "glider" 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 "glider" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "glider" 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 "glider" is acting as noun 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 "sailplane" 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 "glider", 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 One who glides.
- 2 aircraft supported only by the dynamic action of air against its surfaces wordnet
- 3 Any heavier-than-air aircraft optimised for unpowered flight; a sailplane.
- 4 A pilot of glider aircraft.
- 5 Any animal with the ability to glide, such as the marsupial gliding possums of Australia.
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 Synonym of glide (“cap affixed to base of legs of furniture”).
"The left drawer runner is probably replaced. Nail holes on the upper surface of the stretchers suggest the piece once had a bottom shelf. Modern metal gliders have been added under the feet."
- 7 A kind of garden swing.
"Francine sat in the glider on the porch, swinging lightly, her mind a thousand miles away. The chain squeaked a little, almost like a cricket."
- 8 In the Game of Life, a particular configuration of five cells that recurs periodically at fixed offsets and appears to "walk" across the grid.
"By the way, what happens to a beehive which is under attack by one or two gliders such as pictured:"
- 9 In the Game of Life, a particular configuration of five cells that recurs periodically at fixed offsets and appears to "walk" across the grid.; Any spaceship in a cellular automaton, especially one which exhibits glide reflection. broadly
"It is a reversible rule, and an interesting one. Shortly after I implemented it, Chris and I were watching it run from a small random configuration of vants, when we noticed a structure consisting of 2 vants propagating away from the others -- it is a glider of sorts, consisting of 2 cooperating vants moving along, erasing each others' trail."
- 10 A vehicle, of a usually motorised type, without a powertrain.
- 11 Any of various species of dragonfly that glide on out-held wings while flying, such as the common glider, Tramea loewii, of Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia, and the Pacific.
Antonyms
Example
"The glider soared high into the air."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "glider"?
Common synonyms include: sailplane, airplane, boat, canoe, cruiser, ferry.
How do you use "glider" in a sentence?
The glider soared high into the air.
How do you pronounce "glider"?
Pronounced /ˈɡlaɪdɚ/.
Etymology
From Middle English glider, glydare, equivalent to glide + -er.