absolute altitude

noun

, Aeronautics.

1. the vertical distance between a flying aircraft, rocket, etc., and the point on the earth's surface directly below it, as measured by an electronic altimeter absolute altimeter.

Word History and Origins

Origin of absolute altitude¹

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

That absolute altitude recording was a joy to read; it meant a definite relationship with the world.

From Project Gutenberg