Ornithopter

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of aircraft that achieves flight by flapping wings, often inspired by birds or insects
2. An engineering device designed to mimic the flapping motion of wings for aerial locomotion
3. A vehicle utilizing powered wing structures that flap to generate lift, combining principles of aviation and biology

Etymology: Leonardo da Vinci sketched flying machines powered by human muscle, flapping wings modeled on a bat's, but the idea of copying birds to get aloft is far older than the word itself. The term "ornithopter" is a modern coinage built entirely from Ancient Greek parts: "órnis" (genitive "órnithos") meaning bird, and "pterón" meaning wing. The French form "ornithoptère" passed the word into English, and the Greek elements combine to give a literal sense of "bird-wing." Its formation follows a familiar pattern. The first element, "ornitho-", is the combining form of "bird" that appears in words like ornithology, the study of birds. The second, "-pter", is the Greek "wing" that also appears in "pterodactyl" and "helicopter" relatives such as "dipteran," the two-winged insects. Put together, the name describes exactly what the machine attempts: propulsion by flapping, the way a bird or insect flies.

Synonyms: bird-like aircraft