rotary-wing aircraft

noun

Definition of rotary-wing aircraftnext
as in rotorcraft

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rotary-wing aircraft Byrne said that a fixed- or rotary-wing aircraft could operate as a drone to a larger, passively buoyant platform. — Leonard David, Space.com, 8 Feb. 2025 Cal Fire has the largest civil aerial firefighting fleet in the world, including more than 60 fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. — Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2023 Equipped with these sophisticated flight controllers, the fly-by-wire BlackFly is similar in that regard to the hobbyist drones that rely on processors and clever algorithms to avoid the tricky manipulations of sticks, levers, and pedals required to fly a traditional fixed- or rotary-wing aircraft. — IEEE Spectrum, 29 Dec. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rotary-wing aircraft
  1. rotorcraft
  2. helicopter
  3. chopper
  4. copter
  5. helo
Noun
  • Dominican officials initially discussed having Henry, 74, fly to Santo Domingo before taking a helicopter across the border, a plan that had been briefed to U.S. and United Nations officials, perhaps using a rotorcraft with night vision for the mission.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2025
  • Light helicopters were first developed in the 1960s as part of a trend to create small, agile rotorcraft for observation, reconnaissance and the transport of troops into challenging terrains.
    — Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 2 Mar. 2025
Definition of rotorcraft
Noun
  • The process is expected to take up to an hour, according to SpaceX. Medical checks will be performed before the astronauts board a helicopter to the airport.
    — NBC News, NBC News, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Meanwhile, the life flight helicopter was blown off the roof and surrounding debris entered the radiators hospital’s generators, leaving the building without electricity, according to a presentation from Johnson County Emergency Management.
    — Alex Gurley, People.com, 19 Mar. 2025
Definition of helicopter
Noun
  • The chopper, chartered by one-time Prime Minister Garry Conille to move police officers, has become the main mode of transport for government officials and their contacts needing to fly out of the capital.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2025
  • The chopper, an Army Black Hawk with three crew members from nearby Fort Belvoir, Virginia, was conducting a training flight — a common practice in the busy airspace above Reagan.
    — Melissa Chan, NBC News, 30 Jan. 2025
Definition of chopper
Noun
  • One finding even goes so far as to pinpoint and classify idiosyncrasies in piloting skills—so perhaps repeat offenders might one day be spotted by the thumbprint their copter leaves on the sky.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 23 July 2020
  • As for the roll cage, impact-absorbing seats, and crash-resistant fuel tanks and windows, those are all typically found on larger, more expensive copters.
    — J. George Gorant, Robb Report, 22 Feb. 2025
Definition of copter
Noun
  • Coordinating shades of green throughout the room helo tie together the area.
    — Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2023
  • As the attacker, Russia’s helicopters will be put in more vulnerable situations than Ukraine’s, as the helos are sent to areas where the enemy is expected to be dug in and waiting for them.
    — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 26 May 2023
Definition of helo

Browse Nearby Words

rotary-wing aircraft
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rotary-wing aircraft.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rotary-wing%20aircraft. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on rotary-wing aircraft

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rotary-wing aircraft

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All