Aircraft Meaning
/ˈɛə.kɹɑːft/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA vehicle capable of atmospheric flight due to interaction with the air, such as buoyancy or lift.
nounA vehicle capable of atmospheric flight due to interaction with the air, such as buoyancy or lift., One that can carry a person or persons.
Sentence Examples
The newspaper company has ten aircraft.
That aircraft company deals in freight only.
The aircraft is powered by a jet engine.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The large ____ carried three hundred passengers across the ocean.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The pilot landed the ____ safely despite the heavy fog at the port.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ews- Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewsér Proto-Hellenic *auhḗr Ancient Greek ᾱ̓ήρ (āḗr)bor. Latin āēr Old French airbor. Middle English aire English air English -craft English aircraft From air + -craft.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"6.2.3.2.2. For aircraft having pressurized cabins, the disinsection of cabins and annexes, cockpit and annexes, is to be carried out after the embarkation of passengers and crew and the closing of the doors and windscreen[.]"
— 1949, World Health Organization, Report on the 1st- Session May 10-15, page 19:
"More than 100 provincial and municipal firefighters were brought in, with helicopters and aircraft used to drop water and fire retardant, while bulldozers were digging firebreaks."
— 2016 May 4, Nicky Woolf, “Fort McMurray: Canada wildfires force evacuation of oil sands city”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 12 Nov 2025:
"The US Air Force has 383 F-35As in its fleet, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
The F-35A is one of the three versions of the US military’s stealth fighter. The Marine Corps flies the F-35B – a short take-off, vertical landing aircraft – and the Navy flies the F-35C, designed for aircraft carrier operations."
— 2025 April 10, Brad Lendon, “‘Frankenjet’ stealth fighter made from two wrecked warplanes joins US Air Force fleet”, in CNN, archived from the original on 28 Apr 2025:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The large ____ carried three hundred passengers across the ocean.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The pilot landed the ____ safely despite the heavy fog at the port.