airspeed

noun

air·​speed ˈer-ˌspēd How to pronounce airspeed (audio)
: the speed (as of an airplane) with relation to the air compare ground speed

Examples of airspeed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Passenger aircraft today fly at around 900 kilometers per hour—and have continued to traverse the skies at the same airspeed range for the past five decades. IEEE Spectrum, 9 Feb. 2025 Here's what to know about how a plane can go missing: How officials can lose a plane's location Airplanes fly with a transponder, which sends continuous data on its current altitude, airspeed, latitude and longitude to receivers on the ground. Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2025 The flight data recorder monitors a plane’s altitude, airspeed and heading, according to the NTSB. Ben Finley, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2025 The second is called a Flight Data Recorder, which monitors parameters such as altitude, airspeed, and heading. Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for airspeed

Word History

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of airspeed was in 1909

Cite this Entry

“Airspeed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/airspeed. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

airspeed

noun
air·​speed -ˌspēd How to pronounce airspeed (audio)
: the speed of an airplane according to measurements of the surrounding air rather than of the ground below
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