semirigid

[ sem-ee-rij-id, sem-ahy- ]

adjective

1. not fully rigid; partly rigid.
2. Aeronautics. noting or pertaining to a type of airship whose shape is maintained by means of a rigid keellike structure and by internal gas pressure.

semirigid

/ ˌsɛmɪˈrɪdʒɪd /

adjective

1. partly but not wholly rigid
2. (of an airship) maintaining shape by means of a main supporting keel and internal gas pressure

Word History and Origins

Origin of semirigid¹

First recorded in 1905–10; semi- + rigid

Example Sentences

The coast guard dispatched several vessels to assist, including semirigid inflatable boats and a tugboat, and found several people who were unconscious and in critical condition aboard.

From New York Times

Use semirigid or rigid metal ducting, which is smoother inside and less likely to catch lint.

From Washington Post

That means a semirigid sole, a spacious toe box and a small heel lift.

From New York Times

Although the blimp’s replacement, Wingfoot Two, will look about the same when it arrives at Goodyear’s airship base in Carson later this year, it will be a semirigid dirigible.

From Seattle Times

In Germany, Cargolifter A.G. got as far as building the world’s largest freestanding building, more than a thousand feet long, in which the company planned to construct a helium-filled semirigid cargo hauler.

From The New Yorker