Airstrips

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A short runway or landing area designed for use by airplanes, often smaller than a full airport runway
2. A small, typically rudimentary landing site for aircraft to take off and land, usually outside major airport facilities
3. An area prepared to allow aircraft to land and depart, usually shorter and simpler than standard airport runways

Etymology: "Airstrips" is the plural of "airstrip," a short landing strip for aircraft. The word is a plain compound: "air" joined to "strip," meaning a narrow piece of cleared ground. The "air" part traces back through Middle English "aire" and Old French "air" to Latin "āēr," borrowed from Ancient Greek "āḗr," and ultimately to a very old root meaning the sky or atmosphere. "Strip," in its older sense of a long, narrow piece of land or material, is an English word, so the compound is a transparent combination of the two.

Synonyms: runways, landing strips, airfields