Gyroplane

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An aviation device designed to achieve flight by utilizing a rotating wing that provides lift in a manner akin to a helicopter
2. A specialized type of flying vehicle that utilizes a rotor to generate lift, allowing for vertical takeoff and landing
3. An aircraft that produces lift through a freely spinning rotor mounted on top, typically providing stable, short-distance flight

Etymology: Gyroplane is a blend of two parts that each carry a history of their own. "Gyro-" comes from the Greek "gyros", meaning "circle" or "ring", the same root that gives "gyrate" and "gyroscope". "Plane" comes from the Greek "planes", meaning "wandering" or "flat surface", which reached English through Latin and French as a name for the flat wing of an aircraft. The compound joins a spinning element with the familiar aeroplane. A gyroplane's main rotor is not driven by an engine to create lift the way a helicopter's is; instead, air flowing up through the spinning blades turns them, and that autorotation supplies the lift. The name therefore describes a machine that flies on a rotating wing while keeping the fixed wing of an aeroplane in its name.

Synonyms: autogyro, helicopter, rotorcraft, vertical takeoff aircraft, flying machine