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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

volplane en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ˈvɒlpleɪn/

Etymology

From French vol plané (“gliding flight”).

Meanings

  1. A steep, controlled dive, especially by an aircraft with the engine off.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
volplanes Number=Plur lexicographic

volplane en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • /ˈvɒlpleɪn/

Etymology

From French vol plané (“gliding flight”).

Meanings

  1. To perform a volplane.
    • 1916, Wilfred Percy ("Billie") Nevill, letter, in 1991, Ruth Elwin Harris (editor), Billie: The Nevill Letters, 1914-1916, Julia Macrae, page 143, […] when well over the bosche lines & he volplaned home, just skimmed over our & the Bosche trenches, they all fired at him like sin, of course, and landed about 1000 yards back on a hill.
    • Curtains of vapor drift back to reveal the Americans, volplaning along well inside ten meters and only a little faster than the balloon. 1973, Thomas Pynchon, Gravity's Rainbow:
  2. (of a bird or gliding animal) To glide.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
volplanes Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
volplaning Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
volplaned Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
volplaned Tense=Past lexicographic