Airship

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of lighter-than-air vessel that travels through the sky using gas for flotation and can be steered via propulsion systems
2. An aircraft that utilizes buoyant gases to achieve flight while being controlled through navigational mechanisms
3. A distinct form of transportation that relies on buoyant gases to navigate the atmosphere while featuring control systems for direction and speed

Etymology: "Airship" is a plain compound: "air" joined to "ship," the older word for a vessel that sails or travels. The combination simply names a ship that moves through the air rather than on water, so the parts carry their ordinary meanings with no hidden twist. The one playful twist concerns a jocular British usage. In that sense, the word has been used as a mock-formal way of addressing magistrates and similar officials, imitating the form "worship" used in that role. The term may also be an oblique reference to Colonel Blimp, the pompous cartoon figure whose name became a byword for the stuffy military type, and the blimp is itself a kind of airship.

Synonyms: dirigible, zeppelin, blimp, balloon, lighter-than-air craft

Antonyms: helicopter, airplane, jet, drone, fighter