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parachute

/ˌpɛrəˈʃut/

/ˈpærəʃut/

Other forms: parachutes; parachuted; parachuting

A parachute fills with air and breaks the fall of someone falling from an airplane.

If your airplane is in trouble, and you need to jump, your best friend is a parachute. That's the device people jumping from airplanes use to slow down their falls. A parachute fills up like a balloon, slowing the person down so they fall to the ground gently and safely. People who jump out of planes for fun also use parachutes. When you do this, you're parachuting. Whether for fun or because of your plane's mechanical failure, parachuting is exciting.

Definitions of parachute
  1. noun
    rescue equipment consisting of a device that fills with air and retards your fall
    synonyms: chute
    see moresee less
    types:
    drogue, drogue chute, drogue parachute
    a parachute used to decelerate an object that is moving rapidly
    drogue parachute
    a small parachute that pulls the main parachute from its storage pack
    parasail
    parachute that will lift a person up into the air when it is towed by a motorboat or a car
    type of:
    rescue equipment
    equipment used to rescue passengers in case of emergency
  2. verb
    jump from an airplane and descend with a parachute
    synonyms: chute, jump
    see moresee less
    types:
    sky dive, skydive
    jump from an airplane and perform various maneuvers before opening one's parachute
    type of:
    dive, plunge, plunk
    drop steeply
Pronunciation
US

/ˌpɛrəˈʃut/

UK

/ˈpærəʃut/

DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘parachute'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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