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hel·i·cop·ter (hĕlĭ-kŏp′tər)
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n.
An aircraft that derives its lift from blades that rotate about an approximately vertical central axis.
intr. & tr.v. hel·i·cop·tered, hel·i·cop·ter·ing, hel·i·cop·ters
To go or transport by helicopter.
[French hélicoptère : Greek helix, helik-, spiral; see HELIX + Greek pteron, wing; see -PTER.]
(click for a larger image)
helicopter
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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