ornithopter

noun

or·​ni·​thop·​ter ˈȯr-nə-ˌthäp-tər How to pronounce ornithopter (audio)
: an aircraft designed to derive its chief support and propulsion from flapping wings

Examples of ornithopter 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.
What really worked for director Denis Villeneuve, says King, were the sounds of the thumpers (used to summon the sandworms) and the ornithopters (the helicopters), so those were reused in Part Two. Beatrice Verhoeven, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Feb. 2025 Berkeley is also working on a second ornithopter called iBird, which is capable of flying towards a reflective target completely autonomously. IEEE Spectrum, 27 Sep. 2011 There’s also some ornithopter combat and what looks like fairly extensive base-building options. Andrew Webster, The Verge, 4 Mar. 2024 Paul and Jessica fly off in an ornithopter and evade their pursuers by flying into a storm. Max Evry, WIRED, 4 Mar. 2024 The Flying Martha, for example, is a windup flying bird, or ornithopter, that can also be used as a kite and was designed to match the exact dimensions of the passenger pigeon, a once endemic species in North America that was hunted to extinction by 1914. New York Times, 29 Sep. 2021 An ornithopter is a highly complex system. Paul Douglas, Star Tribune, 28 July 2020 In August 2010, with Reichert again supplying pedaling power, the ornithopter achieved flight — albeit brief, about 19 seconds. James McCommons, Discover Magazine, 28 May 2015 In this video the ornithopter developed inside the ERC Advanced Grant GRIFFIN project performs its first flight. IEEE Spectrum, 14 June 2019

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary ornith- + -pter (as in helicopter)

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ornithopter was in 1908

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Cite this Entry

“Ornithopter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ornithopter. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.

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