aircraft

noun — 2 senses

aircraft

noun

UK /ˈɛə.kɹɑːft/ · US /ˈɛɚ.kɹæft/

Etymology From air + -craft.

1

A vehicle capable of atmospheric flight due to interaction with the air, such as buoyancy or lift.

  • light aircraft
  • aircraft manufacturer
4 more examples
  • aircraft licence
  • 6.2.3.2.2. For aircraft having pressurized cabins, the disinsection of cabins and annexes, cockpit and annexes, is to be carried out after the embarkation of passengers and crew and the closing of the doors and windscreen[.]1949, World Health Organization, Report on the 1st- Session May 10-15, page 19:
  • More than 100 provincial and municipal firefighters were brought in, with helicopters and aircraft used to drop water and fire retardant, while bulldozers were digging firebreaks.2016 May 4, Nicky Woolf, “Fort McMurray: Canada wildfires force evacuation of oil sands city”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 12 Nov 2025:
  • The US Air Force has 383 F-35As in its fleet, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies. The F-35A is one of the three versions of the US military’s stealth fighter. The Marine Corps flies the F-35B – a short take-off, vertical landing aircraft – and the Navy flies the F-35C, designed for aircraft carrier operations.2025 April 10, Brad Lendon, “‘Frankenjet’ stealth fighter made from two wrecked warplanes joins US Air Force fleet”, in CNN, archived from the original on 28 Apr 2025:
2

Sometimes One that can carry a person or persons.

Synonyms
aerocraft, aircraft, flying machine
Derived terms
26 termsaircraft attitude, aircraft carrier, aircraft engine, aircraft graveyard, aircrafthand, aircraftlike, aircraftman, aircraft movement, aircraft registration number, aircraftsman, aircraft station, aircraftswoman, aircraftwoman, airprox, anti-aircraft, attack aircraft, cargo aircraft, dual-capable aircraft, fighter aircraft, liaison aircraft, model aircraft, nuclear aircraft, parasite aircraft, rocket aircraft, rotary-wing aircraft, tanker aircraft
Related terms
aeroplane, airplane, People on board, pilot, airman, aviator, batman, flier, flyer, birdman, man-bird, aeroplanist, balloonist, aeronaut, passenger, flight attendant, stewardess, air hostess, sky girl, hostie, cart tart, :Category:Aircraft
Hypernyms
vehicle
Hyponyms
aerodyne, aeroplane, aerostat, airplane, airship, autogyro, balloon, blimp, chopper, dirigible, glider, gyrocopter, helicopter, ornithopter, paraglider, plane, rotorcraft, seaplane, ultralight, whirlybird, zeppelin
Meronyms
aileron, cockpit, elevon, engine, fuselage, nacelle, propeller, strake, tail, tailfin, wing

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.