aircraftnoun
American /ˈer.kræft/ British /ˈeə.krɑːft/
plural aircraft
a vehicle that can fly, such as a plane
- The aircraft landed safely despite the storm.
- Modern aircraft can fly for hours without stopping.
- Two aircraft nearly collided over the airport.
- She trained for years to become an aircraft engineer.
Collocations
noun + noun aircraft carrier, aircraft engineadjective + noun military aircraft, commercial aircraft, small aircraftCompare airplane (an airplane is a fixed-wing aircraft; aircraft also covers helicopters, gliders, and other flying vehicles)
Usage
The plural of aircraft is also aircraft: one aircraft, three aircraft. In everyday speech people usually say plane; aircraft is more common in official and technical writing.