aquaplane

[ ak-wuh-pleyn, ah-kwuh- ]

noun

1. a board that skims over water when towed at high speed by a motorboat, used to carry a rider in aquatic sports.

verb (used without object)

, aq·ua·planed, aq·ua·plan·ing.

1. to ride an aquaplane.
2. hydroplane ( def 7 ).

aquaplane

/ ˈækwəˌpleɪn /

noun

1. a single board on which a person stands and is towed by a motorboat at high speed, as in water skiing

verb

1. to ride on an aquaplane
2. (of a motor vehicle travelling at high speeds in wet road conditions) to rise up onto a thin film of water between the tyres and road surface so that actual contact with the road is lost

Other Words From

• aqua·planer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of aquaplane¹

First recorded in 1910–15; aqua- + (air)plane

Example Sentences

He said while Perkins was travelling at a "grossly excessive speed", the defendant "wasn’t to know there was blocked culvert on the carriageway" which caused him to aquaplane and hit Mr Jeanes.

From BBC

"I liken it to if you're driving along and you aquaplane a bit and you kind of take your foot off the brake," Ms Lewellen said.

From BBC

"The first time I realised there was an issue was when the movement on the train felt weird. It just didn't feel typical, it was like floating or sliding, like when you aquaplane in a car," she said.

From BBC

Russell, a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, said: "The extreme tyre is really, really bad. It is six, seven seconds slower than the intermediate and the only reason you would ever run it is if you aquaplane on the intermediate. So that needs to be substantially improved."

From BBC

The Hungarian Attila Valter lost control of his back wheel as he descended towards a tight right-hand bend, and began to aquaplane at more than 30mph, zig-zagging violently as he fought to keep control.

From The Guardian