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Helicopter
Definitions
- 1 An aircraft that is borne along by one or more sets of long rotating blades which allow it to hover, move in any direction including reverse, or land; and typically having a smaller set of blades on its tail to stabilize the aircraft.
"We flew over the city in a helicopter."
- 2 an aircraft without wings that obtains its lift from the rotation of overhead blades wordnet
- 3 A powered troweling machine with spinning blades used to spread concrete.
- 4 The winged fruit of certain trees, such as ash, elm, and maple.
- 5 A dragonfly; so named due to its resemblance to a helicopter (sense 1). slang
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- 6 A whirling trick performed with devil sticks.
- 7 A breakdance move in which the dancer spins on the floor while extending the legs to resemble the blades of a helicopter.
- 1 To transport by helicopter. transitive
"Car drivers were helicoptered to safety from nearby roads. There were photographs of people canoeing down streets."
- 2 To travel by helicopter. intransitive
- 3 To rotate like a helicopter blade.
"helicoptering his jacket, helicoptering his arms"
- 4 To overprotect one's children, as a helicopter parent does.
"Near-synonym: hover"
Etymology
Borrowed from French hélicoptère, from Ancient Greek ἕλιξ (hélix, “spiral”) + πτερόν (pterón, “wing”). Doublet of helicopteron. By surface analysis, helico- + -pter. The dragonfly sense is from a dragonfly's ability to hover and fly in any direction, like the flying machine.
Borrowed from French hélicoptère, from Ancient Greek ἕλιξ (hélix, “spiral”) + πτερόν (pterón, “wing”). Doublet of helicopteron. By surface analysis, helico- + -pter. The dragonfly sense is from a dragonfly's ability to hover and fly in any direction, like the flying machine.
See also for "helicopter"
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