Zeppelins

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of airship that relies on a rigid framework and a gas-filled envelope for buoyancy while being used for transportation or observation
2. Distinctive flying vessels characterized by their elongated shape and use of lighter-than-air gases, often associated with early 20th-century aviation
3. Large dirigibles that were prominent before the advent of modern aircraft and are notable for their usage in both commercial and military roles

Etymology: "Zeppelins" is simply the plural of "zeppelin," so the word's history lies in the singular. The noun was named after Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, the German aviation pioneer whose rigid airships of the early twentieth century gave the word its meaning. The name came from a real person rather than from a classical root, which is why the word looks so unlike the Latin and Greek coinages common in technical English. The plural follows the regular English pattern of adding "-s" to a noun ending in a consonant, so the form needs no special explanation. Its meaning is the same as the singular: a rigid airship with a internal framework holding gas-filled envelopes, used for carrying passengers and for observation.

Synonyms: airships, dirigibles