As a noun, a hydroplane is a fast boat that skims over the surface of the water. As a verb, to hydroplane is when a vehicle’s tires ride on top of water instead of the road, causing a dangerous loss of control.
From Greek roots: "hydro-" meaning "water" and "-plane" meaning "flat surface" or "gliding surface." It originally described boats designed to skim over water and later was applied to cars slipping on a layer of water.
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