Sailplanes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Lightweight unpowered aircraft built for gliding long distances by riding rising air currents, the plural form of the glider type
2. Engineered gliders that stay aloft for hours by catching thermals and updrafts, referring to several such unpowered craft
3. Several high-performance motorless aircraft designed for soaring, using wings and air currents rather than an engine to remain airborne

Etymology: "Sailplanes" is the plural of "sailplane," an unpowered glider built for long flights that ride rising air currents. The name is a plain compound: "sail," in its older sense of moving through the air as a sailing ship moves through water, joined to "plane," a shortened form of "aeroplane." The gliders were named for how they stay aloft, gliding on rising air much as a sailing vessel uses wind, with no engine to keep them moving. The plural simply adds "-s" to the singular, so "sailplanes" refers to more than one such aircraft.

Synonyms: glider