Aeromodellers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of individuals who design, construct, and operate model aircraft, often as a hobby or competitive sport
2. Enthusiasts engaged in the creation and flying of scale models of aeroplanes
3. People skilled in the art of building and controlling miniature flying models typically powered by engines or remote controls

Etymology: Aeromodellers are simply people who build model aircraft, and the plural here is a plain compound with no hidden story. It joins "aero-", the combining form from Greek "aer" meaning "air", to "modeller", someone who makes scale replicas. The result is a single word for hobbyists who build small flying machines. The first half, "aero-", is one of many English prefixes drawn from Greek roots related to air and flight, and it attaches easily to other nouns, which is why it appears in words such as "aerodrome" and "aerobatics". The second half, "modeller", comes from "model", which has been used for a small copy of something since the early modern period. Adding the agent ending "-er" gives a person who makes such copies. Put together, the word names a person who builds model aircraft, and it is the plural form that refers to a group of such hobbyists.

Synonyms: model aeroplane builders