Copter

/ˈkɒptər/ noun

Definition

Short for helicopter; a flying machine with rotating blades on top that can hover and move in any direction.

Etymology

Shortened form of 'helicopter,' which comes from Greek 'helico' (spiral) and 'pter' (wing). This abbreviation became common in mid-20th century, especially in military and informal contexts.

Kelly Says

Copter is a shortened word that technically contains the root it was shortened from—'helicopter' has 'pter' for wing, and 'copter' kept that part while dropping 'heli,' which is a clever way English handles abbreviations.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.