Meaning & use
hydrofoil
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A boat with wing-like blades under its hull that lift it above the water at speed.
Grammar: Countable; use a/an or the plural hydrofoils.
Patterns
- a hydrofoil boat
- travel by hydrofoil
The hydrofoil cut across the bay, its hull rising clear of the waves.
We took a hydrofoil from the mainland to the island.
Hydrofoils are popular for fast passenger ferries.
nouncountable
One of the wing-shaped blades fitted under a boat to lift it out of the water.
Grammar: Countable; usually plural when referring to the set on a boat.
Patterns
- the hydrofoils under the hull
- fit a hydrofoil to something
The engineer inspected the hydrofoils for cracks.
Each hydrofoil is angled to generate lift as the boat gains speed.
Word forms
| plural | hydrofoils |
|---|
Common combinations
- hydrofoil ferry
- The hydrofoil ferry crosses the strait in twenty minutes.
- hydrofoil boat
- A hydrofoil boat can reach higher speeds than a conventional one.
- ride a hydrofoil
- Tourists line up to ride the hydrofoil along the coast.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- hydrofoil noun
- The boat or the blade itself.
Commonly confused: hydrofoil or hovercraft?
hydrofoil vs hovercraft
A hovercraft rides on a cushion of air over any surface, while a hydrofoil uses underwater blades and needs water.
Practice
The hydrofoil lifted its hull clear of the water because of the ___ beneath it.
Choose one answer.
Hydrofoils use wing-like blades (also called hydrofoils) to generate lift, so 'blades' fits. 'Sails' would describe a sailboat, not a hydrofoil.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hydrofoil”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.