aircraft

From air +‎ -craft.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɛə.kɹɑːft/, /ˈɛː.kɹɑːft/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɛəɹ.kɹæft/, /ˈɛːɹ.kɹæft/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛəkɹɑːft, -ɛːkɹɑːft, -ɛəɹkɹæft, -ɛːɹkɹæft

aircraft (plural aircraft)

1. A vehicle capable of atmospheric flight due to interaction with the air, such as buoyancy or lift.

   Hypernym: vehicle

   Hyponyms: airplane, helicopter

   light aircraft

   aircraft manufacturer

   aircraft licence

   • 1949, World Health Organization, Report on the 1st- Session May 10-15‎^[1], page 19:

     6.2.3.2.2. For aircraft having pressurized cabins, the disinsection of cabins and annexes, cockpit and annexes, is to be carried out after the embarkation of passengers and crew and the closing of the doors and windscreen[.]

   • 2025 April 10, Brad Lendon, “‘Frankenjet’ stealth fighter made from two wrecked warplanes joins US Air Force fleet”, in CNN‎^[2]:

     The US Air Force has 383 F-35As in its fleet, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
     The F-35A is one of the three versions of the US military’s stealth fighter. The Marine Corps flies the F-35B – a short take-off, vertical landing aircraft – and the Navy flies the F-35C, designed for aircraft carrier operations.

• The nonstandard plural form aircrafts is in use among non-native speakers of English and colloquially.

• See also Thesaurus:aircraft

• aeroplane (UK), airplane (US)