parachute

American  

[par-uh-shoot] / ˈpær əˌʃut /

noun

1. a folding, umbrellalike, fabric device with cords supporting a harness or straps for allowing a person, object, package, etc., to float down safely through the air from a great height, especially from an aircraft, rendered effective by the resistance of the air that expands it during the descent and reduces the velocity of its fall.

2. parachute brake.

3. Horology. a shockproofing device for the balance staff of a watch, consisting of a yielding, springlike support for the bearing at either end.

4. Informal.

   1. the aggregate of benefits, as severance pay or vacation pay, given an employee who is dismissed from a company.

   2. golden parachute.

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verb (used with object)

parachuted, parachuting

1. to drop or land (troops, equipment, supplies, etc.) by parachute.

verb (used without object)

parachuted, parachuting

1. to descend by parachute.

parachute British  

/ ˈpærəˌʃuːt /

noun

1. 1. a device used to retard the fall of a man or package from an aircraft, consisting of a large fabric canopy connected to a harness

   2. Sometimes shortened to: chute.  ( as modifier ) See also brake parachute

      parachute troops

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verb

1. (of troops, supplies, etc) to land or cause to land by parachute from an aircraft

2. (in an election) to bring in (a candidate, esp someone well known) from outside the constituency

Other Word Forms

• parachuter noun
• parachutic adjective
• parachutist noun

Etymology

Origin of parachute

1775–85; < French, equivalent to para- para- ² + chute fall; chute ¹

Example Sentences

Hitting the ground -- even with a parachute -- risks foot, ankle, and leg injuries, the former airman explained.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

It also acquired parachute maker Pioneer Aerospace in 2023 and specialty RF filter firm Akoustis in 2025 after each of those companies filed for bankruptcy.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026

“We must parachute into Europe,” she wrote before setting out, “like a mother breaking into a burning house to rescue her children.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

Astronauts can’t parachute to the surface, or climb down a rope ladder, or just beam themselves down from the Transporter Room.

From Slate • Mar. 13, 2026

She tried not to think of the extra weight she carried—the parachute pack and the inflatable life jacket over her clothing.

From "Women in Space" by Karen Bush Gibson

Related Words

• bounce
• bound
• dive
• drop
• fall
• hop
• plummet
• skip
• surge
• take
• top
• vault