glidernoun [ C ]
uk/ˈɡlaɪ.dər/us/ˈɡlaɪ.dɚ/an aircraft that has long fixed wings and no engine and flies by gliding
US a seat for one or two people that swings backwards and forwards, usually used on a porch (= a raised, covered area outside at the front or side of a house)
a children's swing (= a hanging seat on which you can move backwards and forwards) for two people
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Air travel: fixed-wing aircraft & helicopters
- aeroplane
- air ambulance
- biplane
- copter
- dive-bomber
- drone
- fixed-wing
- flying boat
- jet
- jet-propelled
- light aircraft
- microlight
- plane
- seaplane
- transport plane
- turbojet
- turboprop
- ultralight
- vertical take-off
- winged
See more results »
Examples from literature
- Before the invention of gasoline motors, the only planes were gliders.
- In the 1960s, some people began flying a new kind of small glider off the tops of hills.
- Modern gliders have much more control and are towed into the air by another plane or by a ground vehicle or machine.
- One was similar to a modern glider, another worked like a helicopter, and the third was a type of parachute.
- They added an engine to their glider to create the Wright Flyer I. On December 17, 1903, they made the first successful powered flight and changed history forever.
- When the glider is moving quickly enough, it is freed and the pilot glides on warm air to rise high in the sky.