paraglyder

Meanings

1. 1nouncountablesport

   A person who flies by hanging beneath a large, curved fabric canopy that catches the air.

   Grammar: A normal countable noun: a paraglyder, several paragliders.

   Patterns

   • a paraglyder over something

   A paraglyder drifted above the valley in the afternoon sun.

   The paraglyder checked the wind before running off the hillside.

   Several paragliders landed in the meadow near the village.

2. 2nouncountablesport

   The soft, wing-shaped canopy and harness that lets a person fly in this way.

   Grammar: Refers to the equipment: he packed his paraglyder in a rucksack.

   Patterns

   • pack a paraglyder

   He folded his paraglyder and carried it down the mountain.

   A new paraglyder can cost as much as a small car.

   The instructor inspected each paraglyder for tears.

Word forms

Common combinations

experienced paraglyder

An experienced paraglyder can stay up for hours on warm air.

tandem paraglyder

We booked a tandem paraglyder flight with an instructor.

paraglyder pilot

The paraglyder pilot waited for the right gust.

launch a paraglyder

They launch a paraglyder from the top of the cliff.

paraglyder crash

The paraglyder crash left the pilot with a broken ankle.

Synonyms and how they differ

paraglider

Paraglider is the standard spelling, and paraglyder is simply a less usual variant of it.

hang glider

A hang glider is a rigid-framed wing flown lying down, whereas a paraglider is a soft canopy flown sitting up.

parachutist

A parachutist falls from an aircraft and descends, while a paraglider can climb and stay aloft by using rising air.

Word family

paragliding noun

the sport of flying a paraglider

paraglide verb

to fly using a paraglider

glider noun

an aircraft without an engine

parachute noun

a canopy for slowing a fall

Commonly confused: paraglyder or parachute?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “paraglyder”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words