aeronaut

noun

aero·​naut ˈer-ə-ˌnȯt How to pronounce aeronaut (audio)
-ˌnät
: one who operates or travels in an airship or balloon

Examples of aeronaut in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Not all jumps were entirely successful, as seen on Aug. 24, 1896, when an aeronaut nearly died by drowning. Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 29 June 2024 Soon, the exploits of new aeronauts would upstage him, among them Alberto Santos-Dumont’s circumnavigation of the Eiffel Tower in 1901. Erik Ofgang, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 June 2024 On the way down, the aeronaut, having toasted to freedom, dropped leaflets of the new constitution. Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2023 In its 30 years of life, this champion aeronaut flies more than 2.4 million kilometres - the equivalent of three return journeys to the Moon. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 15 Jan. 2010 See all Example Sentences for aeronaut 

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French aéronaute, from aéro- aero- + -naute (as in Argonaute argonaut), borrowed from Greek naútēs "sailor" — more at nautical

First Known Use

1784, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of aeronaut was in 1784

Dictionary Entries Near aeronaut

Cite this Entry

“Aeronaut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aeronaut. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

aeronaut

noun
aero·​naut ˈar-ə-ˌnȯt How to pronounce aeronaut (audio)
ˈer-,
-nät
: a person who operates or travels in an airship or a balloon

More from Merriam-Webster on aeronaut

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