Aviophile

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who has a strong affection for or fascination with aircraft and aviation
2. someone deeply interested in the study and appreciation of flight and flying machines
3. an enthusiast who enjoys everything related to planes and the science of aviation

Etymology: "Aviophile" combines the Latin "avis", meaning bird, which also gives English "aviary" and "avian", with the Greek "philos", meaning loving or fond of. That second element appears in "bibliophile" and "Anglophile." The Latin stem "avi-" is the same one used to build "aviation", the term for flight by machines, so an aviophile is literally a lover of the flying machine. The word is a modern formation, built from classical parts to name a hobby that only existed once powered flight did. Pairing a Latin prefix with a Greek suffix is a common pattern in modern coinages, and this hybrid follows it.

Synonyms: birdwatcher, ornithologist