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zeppelin

zeppelin

42 8.2
A large airship with a metal frame used to carry people and sometimes bombs in the early 1900s
  • noun
  • /ˈzɛpəˌlɪn/
translation icon : zepelín
  • During World War I, the use of zeppelins for bombing raids caused concern among civilians living near targeted cities.
  • a German zeppelin
  • zeppelin in the air

This would be the last Zeppelin brought down of the war.

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Examples

  • I guess they run away to America on a zeppelin with everybody singing like mad.

  • A German zeppelin is on its way to bomb Paris.

  • I remember that across the cemetery grounds, another victim of the zeppelin crash was being buried.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • The Graf Zeppelin, the second largest airship ever built, stopped here on its voyages around the world.

    Academic text (2009)
  • By war's end, 670 Londoners had been killed by bombs from zeppelins and airplanes.

    Academic text (2005)
  • The passengers enjoyed a scenic view of the mountains from the deck of the zeppelin as it soared gracefully through the sky.

  • In the early 1900s, a zeppelin was a popular mode of transportation for those who wanted to travel across Europe in style.

Synonyms

airship
vszeppelin
21 5.6

A large steerable flying machine filled with a light gas like helium

is the rigid framed historical type used for passenger travel and bombing
dirigible
vszeppelin
  • Archaic
4 9.3

A large air vehicle like a balloon that people ride and you can steer

is the rigid, often historical, metal framed variant rather than any steerable balloon
aerostat
vszeppelin
  • Specialized
1 8.1

A flying machine like a balloon or airship that floats using a light gas

is the metal framed historical model rather than a generic floating craft
lighter-than-air craft
vszeppelin
  • Specialized
1 5.9

An aircraft that floats because it is lighter than the air, like a balloon or airship

is the specific rigid framed, early twentieth century passenger and bomber type

Compounds

A large German airship with a rigid frame used for long passenger flights

How Big

zeppelin
42 8.2
balloon
190 1.0
blimp
28 5.7

Surface Forms

zeppelin singular
zeppelins plural

Etymology

The word zeppelin comes from the name of a German inventor, Count Zeppelin, who built the first large metal-framed airships. So zeppelin now means a large 'airship', a big flying ship that floats in the sky.