entry
helicopter
/ˈhɛlɪˌkɑptər/A rotorcraft lifted and propelled by spinning horizontal rotors
From Greek via Latinized combining form helico- (Spiral).
from Ancient Greek ἕλιξ (hélix, “spiral”) + πτερόν (pterón, “wing”). Doublet of helicopteron. By surface analysis,...
from French hélicoptère "device for enabling airplanes to rise perpendicularly," thus "flying machine propelled by...
+1 more sourceWord Ancestry
from Ancient Greek ἕλιξ (hélix, “spiral”) + πτερόν (pterón, “wing”). Doublet of helicopteron. By surface analysis,...
from French hélicoptère "device for enabling airplanes to rise perpendicularly," thus "flying machine propelled by...
+1 more sourceThe name sounds as though it were built from “helico” plus “pter,” and that is essentially the recipe: one Greek element means “spiral,” the other “wing.” The French hélicoptère was recorded in English in 1861 for a machine meant to rise straight up, using spiral aerofoils; that early design idea did not work. Jules Verne and the Wright Brothers used the word before it settled onto the rotorcraft we recognize today, as helicopters began to be developed by 1918. The “wing” element has airborne cousins such as pterodactyl, while “helix” gives us helical—the same spiral shape, whether in a screw, a staircase, or a rotor. So the word is a tiny blueprint: spiral plus wing, with the machine’s spinning blades doing the explaining.
The Story
The name sounds as though it were built from “helico” plus “pter,” and that is essentially the recipe: one Greek element means “spiral,” the other “wing.” The French hélicoptère was recorded in English in 1861 for a machine meant to rise straight up, using spiral aerofoils; that early design idea did not work. Jules Verne and the Wright Brothers used the word before it settled onto the rotorcraft we recognize today, as helicopters began to be developed by 1918. The “wing” element has airborne cousins such as pterodactyl, while “helix” gives us helical—the same spiral shape, whether in a screw, a staircase, or a rotor. So the word is a tiny blueprint: spiral plus wing, with the machine’s spinning blades doing the explaining.
Modern Usage
A crude slang term for swinging the penis in a circle like a rotor.
Kin & Kindred
From 'helico-'·Spiral; winding form
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From '-pter'·Wing
Derived Terms
English words from this root