helicopter

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helicopter

  • /ˈheliːˌkɔptə(ɹ)/ Australia
  • /ˈheləˌkɔptə(ɹ)/ Australia
  • /ˈhɛl.iˌkɒp.tə(ɹ)/ UK
  • /ˈhɛl.ɪˌkɒp.tə(ɹ)/ UK
  • /ˈhɛlɪjˌkɔptə(ɹ)/ British, Southern, Standard
  • /ˈhɛlɪˌkɔptə(ɹ)/ British, Southern, Standard
  • /ˈhɛlɪˌkɑptɜɹ/ US
  • /ˈhilɪˌkɑptɜɹ/ US, dated, rare

Where it comes from

Borrowed from French hélicoptère, from Ancient Greek ἕλιξ (hélix, “spiral”) + πτερόν (pterón, “wing”). Doublet of helicopteron. By surface analysis, helico- + -pter. The dragonfly sense is from a dragonfly's ability to hover and fly in any direction, like the flying machine.

noun helicopters

  1. An aircraft that is borne along by one or more sets of long rotating blades which allow it to hover, move in any direction including reverse, or land; and typically having a smaller set of blades on its tail to stabilize the aircraft. We flew over the city in a helicopter.

    Similar: chopper, copter, eggbeater, ghetto bird, heli, helo, huey, rotary-wing aircraft, whirlybird

  2. A powered troweling machine with spinning blades used to spread concrete.
  3. The winged fruit of certain trees, such as ash, elm, and maple.

    Similar: samara, whirlybird

  4. slang A dragonfly; so named due to its resemblance to a helicopter (sense 1).
  5. A whirling trick performed with devil sticks.

    Similar: power trowel, trowel machine

  6. A breakdance move in which the dancer spins on the floor while extending the legs to resemble the blades of a helicopter.

verb helicopters · helicoptering · helicoptered

  1. transitive To transport by helicopter. Car drivers were helicoptered to safety from nearby roads. There were photographs of people canoeing down streets.
  2. intransitive To travel by helicopter.
  3. To rotate like a helicopter blade. helicoptering his jacket, helicoptering his arms
  4. To overprotect one's children, as a helicopter parent does. Near-synonym: hover

    Similar: hover

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: whirlybird, chopper, eggbeater, aircraft, airplane, copter, helo, jetliner, airliner, jet, flight, medevac, medivac, gunship, apparatus, armed

Translations

Every language

noun aircraft

Españolhelicóptero, autogiro
한국어헬리콥터 hellikopteo, 헬기 helgi
日本語ヘリコプター herikoputā, ヘリ heri, 螺旋翼機 rasen'yokuki
中文直升機 /直昇機 /直升机 zhíshēngjī
हिन्दीहेलिकॉप्टर helikŏpṭar
Kiswahilihelikopta
Portuguêshelicóptero
Françaishélicoptère
DeutschHubschrauber, Helikopter
Italianoelicottero
Ελληνικάελικόπτερο elikóptero
Românăelicopter
Русскийвертолёт vertoljót, геликопте́р gelikoptɛ́r, гелико́птер gelikóptɛr
Tiếng Việtmáy bay lên thẳng, máy bay trực thăng, trực thăng
العربيةطَائِرَةٌ مِرْوَحِيَّة ṭāʔiratun mirwaḥiyya, طَائِرَة عَامُودِيَّة ṭāʔira ʕāmūdiyya, هِلِيكُوبْتَر helikobtar, حَوَّامَة ḥawwāma, طَوَّافَة ṭawwāfa
עבריתמַסּוֹק masók

verb to transport by helicopter

Françaishéliporter
Italianoelitrasportare

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Cite this
MLA

"helicopter." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/helicopter. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

helicopter. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/helicopter

Chicago

"helicopter." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/helicopter.

BibTeX
@misc{helicopter_2026,
  title = {helicopter},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/helicopter},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}