Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An aircraft, especially a balloon or dirigible, deriving its lift from the buoyancy of surrounding air rather than from aerodynamic motion.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An aircraft, such as a dirigible or balloon, that derives its lift from buoyancy rather than from wings or rotors.
  • noun A moored balloon flown in a semi-permanent manner, as a border patrol monitoring balloon affixed at 18,000 feet (~6km).

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French aérostat : Greek āero-, aero-; see aero– + Greek statos, standing; see stato–.]

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Examples

  • AFP/Getty Images Then: The aerostat is illuminated in green during the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in New Delhi, October 3, 2010.

    The Games Stadium: Then 2010

  • AFP/Getty Images The aerostat is illuminated in green depicting a tree at opening ceremony.

    The Games Begin 2010

  • The centerpiece will be the 40-meter-wide-by-12-meter-high "aerostat," a balloon on which high-resolution video screens will display images meant to complement performances.

    India Seeks Positive Spin With Games Kickoff Amol Sharma 2010

  • By October, Booker was back on the case with news that Lindstrand had still been unable to gain certification for his "aerostat" balloons and, worse still, while he was unable to sell his products, his rival, Aerophile, had managed to steal a march on him and sell its product as a tourist attraction in Bristol.

    Booker Richard 2005

  • Indranil Mukherjee/AFP/Getty Images The national flag of Pakistan is displayed on the aerostat.

    The Games Begin 2010

  • The blast was so mighty that it shattered windows two miles away and leveled buildings within 300 yards of the truck, pulling down an observation aerostat.

    Taliban Time Blast to 9/11 2011

  • Kevin Frayer/Associated Press An aerostat rises during the opening ceremony.

    The Games Begin 2010

  • Tanner credited in particular a tethered aerostat program that allows the military to watch over the battlefield.

    Lockheed reports drop in third-quarter profit despite increase in sales Marjorie Censer 2010

  • Graham Crouch/Getty Images An $8 million balloon called an aerostat rose from the stadium floor and hung suspended around roof level, beaming images to accompany the thousands of performers below.

    Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony 2010

  • Kevin Frayer/Associated Press An aerostat was raised during the opening ceremony.

    The Games Begin 2010

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