helicopter

Borrowed from French hélicoptère, from Ancient Greek ἕλιξ (hélix, “spiral”) + πτερόν (pterón, “wing”).

• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈheliˌkɔptə(ɹ)/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈhɛl.iˌkɒp.tə(ɹ)/, /ˈhɛl.ɪˌkɒp.tə(ɹ)/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈhɛlɨˌkɑptɚ/

helicopter (plural helicopters)

1. An aircraft that is borne along by one or more sets of long rotating blades which allow it to hover, move in any direction including reverse, or land; and typically having a smaller set of blades on its tail that stabilize the aircraft.

   We flew over the city in a helicopter.

2. A powered troweling machine with spinning blades used to spread concrete.
3. The winged fruit of certain trees, such as ash, elm, and maple.
4. (slang) A dragonfly.
5. A whirling trick performed with devil sticks.

• (aircraft): chopper (informal), copter (informal), eggbeater (slang), helo (military, slang), rotary-wing aircraft (technical), whirlybird (slang)
• (trowelling device): power trowel, trowel machine
• (winged fruit): samara, whirlybird

• helicopter drop
• helicopter money
• helicopter parent

helicopter (third-person singular simple present helicopters, present participle helicoptering, simple past and past participle helicoptered)

1. (transitive) To transport by helicopter.
2. (intransitive) To travel by helicopter.
3. To rotate like a helicopter blade.

   helicoptering his jacket, helicoptering his arms

4. To overprotect one's children.