Meaning & use
parachutes
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“parachutes” is a form of “parachute”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounplural
Large cloth canopies that open in the air to slow someone or something falling from a height.
Grammar: Plural of parachute: one parachute, two parachutes.
Patterns
- parachutes open
- jump with parachutes
The skydivers opened their parachutes at three thousand feet.
Red and blue parachutes drifted over the field.
Supplies were dropped with small parachutes.
verbtransitive or intransitive
Third person singular of 'parachute': jumps or drops using a parachute, or sends something down by one.
Grammar: No object when someone jumps: she parachutes. With an object: he parachutes supplies.
Patterns
- someone parachutes into somewhere
- someone parachutes something to somewhere
She parachutes from a plane every weekend.
The army parachutes food to villages cut off by floods.
He parachutes into the competition every year.
verbtransitive or intransitivefigurative
Third person singular of the figurative sense: brings or arrives in a position suddenly from outside, often over others.
Grammar: Often passive or with 'in': the company parachutes managers in.
Patterns
- someone parachutes someone into something
The party parachutes its favorite candidates into safe seats.
The firm often parachutes consultants into struggling branches.
Word forms
| singular | parachute |
|---|---|
| past tense | parachuted |
| -ing form | parachuting |
Common combinations
- open parachutes
- The jumpers open parachutes before landing.
- deploy parachutes
- Both spacecraft deploy parachutes before touchdown.
- golden parachutes
- Executives receive golden parachutes when they leave.
- emergency parachutes
- Planes in the old days carried emergency parachutes.
- parachutes into
- The team parachutes into disaster areas to help.
Synonyms and how they differ
- chutes
- This is a shortened, informal word used mainly by skydivers.
- canopies
- This names the fabric part only, while parachutes refers to the full device.
- drops
- As a verb replacement, it only says something falls and does not suggest being slowed.
- jumps
- This is general, while parachutes states the method used.
Word family
- parachute noun
- a device that slows a fall
- parachutist noun
- a person who jumps with a parachute
- parachuting noun
- the sport of jumping with a parachute
- paratrooper noun
- a soldier trained to parachute into battle
Commonly confused: parachutes or paragliders? parachutes or parasails?
parachutes vs paragliders
A paraglider is a wing used to fly and glide, not just to fall slowly.
parachutes vs parasails
A parasail is pulled by a boat, so it is a different device.
Practice
The skydivers pulled the cords and their ______ opened above them.
Choose one answer.
Parachutes are canopies that slow a fall. Parasols block sun, parades are processions, and parcels are packages.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “parachutes”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.