| 释义 |
hovercraft|ˈhɒvəkrɑːft, -æ-|
Also Hovercraft. Pl. -craft.
[f. hover v.1 + craft n.1]
A vehicle or craft that can be supported by a cushion of air ejected downwards against a surface close below it, and can in principle travel over any relatively smooth surface (as a body of water, marshland, gently sloping land) while having no significant contact with it.
For some years from 1961 registered as a proprietary term but now in the public domain.
1959[see ground effect s.v. ground n. 17 d]. 1959Daily Mail 6 Apr. 5/2 The sea-saucer has been offically christened the Hovercraft. 1960A. Croome Hover Craft iv. 60/1 When the 455 h.p. engine is started the air-cushion quickly builds up underneath and the Hovercraft rises off the ground (or water) and hovers there very steadily. 1961C. S. Cockerell in Hovering Craft & Hydrofoil Oct. 8 My wife and I tried to find a name and settled for the not altogether appropriate word ‘Hovercraft’. 1962Daily Tel. 12 Mar. 13 British United Airways intends..to start the first Hovercraft service in the world this summer. 1965Guardian 5 Jan. 3/3 Air cushion vehicles―or hovercraft, if you prefer the term. 1967Jane's Surface Skimmer Systems 1967–68 24/2 Designed initially for military logistic-support duties, the BH. 8 is a twin-engined, 80 ton, open-water hovercraft with bow and stern loading doors. 1972Drive Spring 75/2 From the attractive cliff gardens there are exciting views of modern hovercraft roaring in and out of Pegwell Bay. |