helicopter

Pluralhelicopters

Formshelicopters, helicoptering, helicoptered

1. 1
   nouncountable

   An aircraft kept aloft by one or more sets of long rotating blades, able to hover, move in any direction including backward, and land vertically, usually with a smaller tail rotor for stability.

   The rescue helicopter winched the stranded climbers to safety.

   Several helicopters circled the wildfire, dropping water on the flames.

   Similarchopper

   Note

   The machine the whole word family is named after: French hélicoptère, built from Greek hélix, "spiral," and pterón, "wing." The word therefore divides as helico-pter, not heli-copter. A spiral wing is a fair picture of the rotor. Nearly every other use of the word borrows this machine's look or motion, from the spinning seed to the hovering insect to the parent who circles overhead.

2. 2
   verbtransitive

   To transport a person or thing from one location to another by helicopter.

   The crew helicoptered fresh water and medicine to the stranded town.

   Authorities decided to helicopter the patient to a specialized burn unit.

   Similarairlift, fly

   Note

   The transitive verb: someone or something is helicoptered somewhere, and it sits comfortably in the passive, as in drivers were helicoptered to safety. Compare the intransitive travel sense, where the traveler is the subject and there is no object: executives helicopter between offices. Both inflect regularly: helicoptered, helicoptering.

3. 3
   verbintransitive

   To make a journey somewhere by helicopter.

   The executives helicoptered between the two offices to save time.

   Guests can helicopter directly to the island resort.

   Similarfly

4. 4
   verbtransitive or intransitive

   To be excessively involved in one's children's lives, constantly monitoring and controlling them out of overprotectiveness.

   Critics say schools encourage parents to helicopter rather than let children fail and grow.

   He helicoptered his daughter through college, calling her professors over every grade.

   Similarhover, overprotect, micromanage, coddle

   Note

   A verb drawn from the phrase helicopter parent, and it keeps that phrase's disapproval: it is nearly always a criticism. Hover is the near-synonym and also the image underneath, a parent circling overhead. It can take the child as its object, as in he helicoptered his daughter, or stand alone, as in parents who helicopter.

5. 5
   verbintransitive

   To spin or whirl rapidly, in the manner of a helicopter's rotating blades.

   The maple seeds helicopter down, spinning as they fall toward the lawn.

   The gymnast's legs helicoptered around the high bar.

   Similarspin, whirl, twirl, spiral

   Note

   The motion verb works in two ways. Something can helicopter on its own, like a seed spinning down. A person can also helicopter something, such as a jacket whirled overhead or arms swung in circles. In that second use the person is the subject and the whirled object follows the verb directly, with no preposition.

6. 6
   nouncountable

   The winged fruit produced by certain trees, such as ash, elm, and maple, that spins as it drops from the branch.

   Every fall the ash drops thousands of helicopters that spin across the yard.

   A single helicopter spiraled down from the maple branch onto the path.

   Similarsamara, key

   Note

   Botanists call this fruit a samara. Its flattened wing of fibrous tissue sets it autorotating as it falls, which slows the descent long enough for wind to carry the enclosed seed away. The everyday name borrows the aircraft's image, and the motion is the same one the verb for spinning like a rotor blade names.

7. 7
   nouncountable

   A breakdancing move in which the dancer spins on the floor while extending the legs to resemble rotating blades.

   The battle judges scored his helicopter higher than any other power move.

   She linked a freeze into a helicopter to close out the routine.

   Note

   A breaking power move named for what onlookers see. The dancer turns low on the floor, supported on the back or hands, with the legs swept out straight like rotor blades. Momentum keeps the spin going, so the move is judged on how long and how cleanly it is sustained. As a noun it is countable: a dancer does a helicopter or links one into a routine.

8. 8
   nouncountable

   A powered troweling machine with spinning blades, used to spread and smooth poured concrete.

   The finishers guided the helicopter across the slab until the surface gleamed.

   Two helicopters worked opposite ends of the freshly poured floor.

9. 9
   nounslangcountable

   A dragonfly, so called because its darting, hovering flight and long wings recall a helicopter.

   A green helicopter hovered above the lily pads before zipping away.

   The kids chased helicopters along the riverbank with their nets.

   Similardragonfly

   Note

   A slang name built on the insect's flight rather than its shape. A dragonfly can hover and then move off in any direction, just as the flying machine can. Because it is slang, it belongs in casual talk. In any zoological or descriptive writing, the insect is simply a dragonfly.

10. 10
    nouncountable

    A whirling trick performed with devil sticks, in which the handsticks send the center stick spinning continuously.

    The juggler closed his act with a fast helicopter that drew loud applause.

    A clean helicopter keeps the center stick level as it spins.

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