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Glite Dictionary
auxiliary airfield

auxiliary airfield

7.2
A small airport used to help a main airport during busy times or emergencies
  • noun
  • /ɔːɡˈzɪljəri ˈɛrˌfiːld/
translation icon : aeródromo auxiliar
  • The military established an auxiliary airfield for emergency landings.

Examples

  • The auxiliary airfield is maintained for use during adverse weather or maintenance work at the main airport.

  • The military constructed an auxiliary airfield nearby to handle overflow traffic from the main base.

  • During training exercises, pilots practiced emergency landings at the remote auxiliary airfield.

  • Many auxiliary airfields are located near major airports.

  • The small town has an auxiliary airfield that is used when the main airport is busy.

  • During the storm, the military redirected flights to an auxiliary airfield for safety.

  • The auxiliary airfield allows for emergency landings when the main facility is unavailable.

Synonyms

airfield
vsauxiliary airfield
79 3.8

An area of land where planes take off and land without full airport services

is used to support a main facility or for emergencies
strip
vsauxiliary airfield
55 7.4

A simple airfield with few or no airport facilities

is kept for regular support use rather than only temporary emergencies
airstrip
vsauxiliary airfield
39 3.5

A short area of ground where small planes land and take off

is chosen for its supporting role, not merely for its simple facilities
aerodrome
vsauxiliary airfield
  • UK
1 8.4

An airport with a runway, control tower, and hangars for planes

is used mainly as a backup or to relieve main traffic, not as primary base
flight strip
vsauxiliary airfield
  • Specialized
7.2

A simple place where planes land without airport buildings for emergencies or military landings

is intended for routine support and traffic relief rather than military use

Surface Forms

auxiliary airfield singular
auxiliary airfields plural

Morphology

auxiliary + airfield

The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'auxiliary' (serving as backup) + 'airfield' (a place for aircraft); together they denote an airfield used in a supporting or backup role. This is a regular noun-noun phrase following common compounding and modifier patterns found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the meaning.

Etymology

The noun auxiliary airfield comes from the idea of a smaller, spare airfield kept near a busy airport as an auxiliary. Like a nearby spare, it is used for extra flights or emergency landings, so it means 'supporting' or 'secondary'.