aerostat

American  

[air-uh-stat] / ˈɛər əˌstæt /

noun

1. any lighter-than-air aircraft, as a balloon or dirigible.

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aerostat British  

/ ˈɛərəˌstæt /

noun

1. a lighter-than-air craft, such as a balloon

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Other Word Forms

• aerostatic adjective

Etymology

Origin of aerostat

First recorded in 1775–85; aero- + -stat

Example Sentences

She said pairs of agents use aerostat blimps to monitor the border remotely, and when troops have replaced one agent, it frees another to patrol.

From Los Angeles Times • May 24, 2018

One report said: “Adding a smaller agent-deployed aerostat to the Border Patrol technology toolbox represents an inexpensive solution to provide persistent surveillance and communications.”

From Washington Times • Oct. 17, 2017

“We can assume that an aerostat like this will eventually come back to Earth,” he said.

From Washington Post • Oct. 28, 2015

A frequent source of displeasure was the millions spent until recently on an aerostat balloon and a plane to try to transmit TV signals to Cuba.

From New York Times • Mar. 24, 2015

Yet his face was fairly glowing with glad exultation as he brought the aerostat to a lower strata of air, shutting off all view from yonder valley, as it lay amid its encircling hills.

From The Lost City by Badger, Jos. E. (Joseph Edward)