helicopter

helicopter
helicopter 1861, from Fr. hélicoptère "device for enabling airplanes to rise perpendicularly," thus "flying machine propelled by screws." The idea was to gain lift from spiral aerofoils, and it didn't work. Used by Jules Verne and the Wright Brothers, the word transferred to helicopters in the modern sense when those were developed in the 1920s. From Gk. helix (gen. helikos) "spiral" (see HELIX (Cf. helix)) + pteron "wing" (see PETITION (Cf. petition)). Nativized in Flemish as wentelwiek "with rotary vanes."

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Helicopter — Hel i*cop ter, v. i. to travel in a helicopter. [PJC] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Helicopter — Hel i*cop ter, v. t. to transport in a helicopter. [PJC] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • helicopter — HELICOPTÉR, helicoptere, s.n. v. elicopter. Trimis de gall, 13.09.2007. Sursa: DEX 98  HELICOPTÉR s.n. v. elicopter. Trimis de LauraGellner, 13.09.2007. Sursa: DN …   Dicționar Român

  • helicopter — [hel′i käp΄tər] n. [Fr hélicoptère: see HELICO & PTERO ] a kind of vertical lift aircraft, capable of hovering or moving in any direction, having a motor driven, horizontal rotor vi., vt. to travel or convey by helicopter …   English World dictionary

  • Helicopter — Hel i*cop ter, n. [NL., fr. Gr. e lix, e likos, a spiral + ptero n a wing.] a heavier than air aircraft whose lift is provided by the aerodynamic forces on rotating blades rather than on fixed wings. Contrasted with {fixed wing aircraft}. [PJC] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • helicopter — UK US /ˈhelɪkɒptər/ noun [C] TRANSPORT ► a type of aircraft without wings, that has long flat parts on top that go round very fast. Helicopters take off and land vertically …   Financial and business terms

  • helicopter — [n] aircraft autogiro, chopper, copter, eggbeater*, whirlybird; concept 504 …   New thesaurus

  • helicopter — ► NOUN ▪ a type of aircraft deriving both lift and propulsion from one or two sets of horizontally revolving rotors. ORIGIN French hélicoptère, from Greek helix spiral + pteron wing …   English terms dictionary

  • Helicopter — For other uses, see Helicopter (disambiguation). Helicopter An LAPD Bell 206 …   Wikipedia

  • helicopter — /hel i kop teuhr, hee li /, n. 1. any of a class of heavier than air craft that are lifted and sustained in the air horizontally by rotating wings or blades turning on vertical axes through power supplied by an engine. v.i. 2. to fly in a… …   Universalium

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