helicopter

The word “helicopter” means an aircraft lifted and moved by one or more sets of rotating overhead blades, letting it hover, fly in any direction, or land vertically. In plain terms, a rotor-powered aircraft that can hover and fly straight up or down — or, casually, to hover over and overprotect someone.

“Helicopter” is pronounced HEHL-ee-kop-tuh (/ˈhɛlɪˌkɑptɜɹ/ in IPA).

Here is “helicopter” used in a sentence: “A rescue helicopter airlifted the hikers off the mountain.”

Depending on how it is used, “helicopter” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “helicopter” comes from French. From French hélicoptère, built from Greek helix ("spiral") and pteron ("wing").

“Helicopter” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Helicopter” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: an aircraft lifted and moved by one or more sets of rotating overhead blades, letting it hover, fly in any direction, or land vertically.

A helicopter is lifted and moved by rotating overhead blades, letting it hover and take off vertically, while an aeroplane uses fixed wings and needs a runway to gain speed for lift. Only the helicopter can stay still in the air.

The winged seeds of trees such as maple and ash are nicknamed "helicopters" because they spin as they fall, much like a helicopter's rotor blades. The spinning slows their descent and helps the wind carry them farther.

Common informal terms include "chopper," "copter," and "whirlybird." These are casual synonyms used in everyday speech rather than in technical or aviation contexts.