Meaning & use

helicopter

noun·Everyday

An aircraft that flies using horizontal rotating blades above it, allowing vertical takeoff and hovering.

See it in a sentence

A rescue helicopter hovered above the flooded valley, lowering a rope to survivors.

The news team used a helicopter to film the traffic jam from above.

A note on using this word

As an informal verb, "helicopter" describes overprotective parenting, as in "helicopter parent."

Words with a similar meaning

chopper

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “helicopter”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.