glider

[ glahy-der ]

noun

1. a motorless, heavier-than-air aircraft for gliding from a higher to a lower level by the action of gravity or from a lower to a higher level by the action of air currents.
2. a porch swing made of an upholstered seat suspended from a steel framework by links or springs.
3. a person or thing that glides.
4. a person who pilots a glider.

glider

/ ˈɡlaɪdə /

noun

1. an aircraft capable of gliding and soaring in air currents without the use of an engine See also sailplane
2. a person or thing that glides
3. another name for flying phalanger

Word History and Origins

Origin of glider¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; glide, -er ¹

Example Sentences

On her GoFundMe page, Killions said that Kunic was a small-plane pilot who recently obtained his soaring license to fly a glider.

From Los Angeles Times

Lieutenant Dermod Green Anderson, a glider pilot who landed with his troops in a village northwest of Arnhem, was killed when an enemy shell exploded near his trench just hours before the evacuation order came.

From BBC

Smoke released from the leading plane allowed cameras installed in the towed aircraft to capture vortices in the air that a glider can exploit to stay aloft.

From BBC

They spotted when the line went slack, indicating the glider is surfing along on currents generated by the aircraft ahead.

From BBC

For instance, the towing aircraft has to be confident it can release the tow line at any point in the flight, safe in the knowledge that the auto-piloted glider can make it down to a runway without dropping on top of the local population.

From BBC