airborne

English

Etymology

Attested since the 1640s; air +‎ -borne

Pronunciation

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Adjective

airborne (not comparable)

1. In or carried by the air.

   Airborne pollen can aggravate allergies.

   • 2012 December 1, “An internet of airborne things”, in The Economist‎^[1], volume 405, number 8813, archived from the original on 6 November 2018, page 3 (Technology Quarterly):

     A farmer could place an order for a new tractor part by text message and pay for it by mobile money-transfer. A supplier many miles away would then take the part to the local matternet station for airborne dispatch via drone.

2. In flight.
   • 1984, Steve Harris (lyrics and music), “Aces High”, in Powerslave, performed by Iron Maiden:

     There goes the siren that warns of the air raid / Then comes the sound of the guns sending flak / Out for the scramble we've got to get airborne / Got to get up for the coming attack.

3. Fitted to an aircraft.

   airborne radar

4. Transported by air in an aircraft.

   airborne troops

Derived terms

• nonairborne

 

Translations

carried by the air

• Bulgarian: въздушнопреносим (vǎzdušnoprenosim)
• Catalan: transportat per l'aire
• Finnish: ilmassa leijuva, ilma-
• French: aéroporté (fr), transporté par l’air
• German: über die Luft transportiert
• Greek: αερομεταφερόμενος (el) (aerometaferómenos)
• Hebrew: מוּטָס (he) m (mutas)
• Indonesian: lintas udara (id)
• Irish: aerbheirthe
• Italian: trasportato dall'aria, aviotrasportato (it)
• Portuguese: transportado pelo ar, aerotransportado (pt)
• Spanish: transportado por el aire, aerotransportado (es)
• Turkish: havadaki

in flight

• Arabic: في الجو (fī al-jaww)
• Bulgarian: летящ (bg) (letjašt)
• French: en vol
• Italian: in volo
• Polish: w trakcie lotu
• Portuguese: em voo, voante (pt)
• Spanish: volando (es)
• Ukrainian: що знаходиться у повітрі (ščo znaxodytʹsja u povitri)

Noun

airborne (plural airbornes or airborne)

1. Military infantry intended to be transported by air and delivered to the battlefield by parachute or helicopter.

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “airborne”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Anagrams

• borirane