What does helicopter mean?
A helicopter is an aircraft that uses powered rotating blades to produce lift and control its movement. Unlike a conventional airplane, it can take off and land vertically, hover in place, and often maneuver in ways that fixed-wing aircraft cannot. Helicopters are used in activities including emergency rescue, law enforcement, firefighting, news reporting, surveying, transport, and military operations. The word is standard in both British and American English, although the related informal terms chopper and heli are especially familiar in speech. As a verb, helicopter can mean to travel or be transported by helicopter, though this use is much less frequent than the noun. The term is memorable because it describes both the aircraft's distinctive method of flight and its remarkable ability to remain suspended in the air.
An aircraft that generates lift with powered rotating blades, enabling vertical takeoff, landing, and hovering.
"A helicopter hovered over the harbor as the rescue team prepared to descend by rope."
The general word is suitable in formal and informal contexts; more specialized contexts may use the technical expression rotary-wing aircraft.
To travel or be transported in a helicopter.
"The survey team was helicoptered onto the island to map the remote coastline."
This verb is relatively uncommon and is more typical of operational or informal writing than everyday conversation.
The standard plural is helicopters, used as a regular count noun.
"Several helicopters took off from the military base."
The word helicopter literally combines the ideas of a spiral and a wing, an apt description of an aircraft whose spinning rotors let it hover.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does helicopter come from?
The word was formed in the early twentieth century from Greek elements meaning “spiral” and “wing,” reflecting the shape and operation of its rotors. It originally referred to the concept of a rotary-wing aircraft before helicopters became practical and widely used. The related English forms helical and helicoid also derive from the Greek word for spiral, while pterodactyl comes from the same Greek element for wing.
Related word forms
How helicopter is actually used
As a noun, helicopter is standard in formal and informal English. The verb is less common and generally has an informal or operational tone. The shortened forms chopper and heli are common informally, while rotary-wing aircraft is a more technical expression.