Chopper

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈtʃɒp.ə/

Definitions

1. A type of aircraft that uses rotating blades to hover and fly ; a heavy cutting tool with a broad blade used for chopping wood or meat ; a customized motorcycle with an extended front fork and a low profile
2. An aircraft that achieves flight through spinning rotors ; a large blade used especially to cut through tough materials ; a motorbike modified for style and performance, often elongated
3. A rotorcraft which can take off and land vertically by means of large, spinning blades ; a powerful knife or cleaver for splitting or cutting ; a distinctive, often handmade motorcycle designed for cruising and display

Etymology: The most surprising thing about "chopper" is that its sense of "helicopter" came from the sound of the machine itself. During the Korean War, American troops encountered the Bell 47 "Angel of Mercy" helicopter, the OH-13 Sioux, and its main rotor blades produced a rhythmic "chop-chop" noise as they cut through the air. Soldiers began calling the aircraft a chopper after that sound, and the nickname spread from there. The word is built from the verb "chop," meaning to cut or strike with a blow, and the suffix "-er," which in English forms nouns for things or people that perform an action. The older sense of "chopper" as a tool, such as a cleaver or a hatchet, follows the same logic: it is the thing that does the chopping. The helicopter sense is a much later extension of that pattern, reached through sound rather than through the machine's function as a cutter.

Synonyms: cutter, slicer, knife

Antonyms: INVALID