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Glite Dictionary
✈️ With three engines ✈️ Three-engine plane
trimotor

trimotor

6.7
A plane that has three engines
  • noun
  • /ˈtraɪˌmoʊtər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : trimotor
  • These new fordent trimotors are the safest things in the sky.
  • the Ford Trimotor

Examples

  • Passengers were excited to board the historic trimotor that flew commercial flights in the 1920s.

  • The first widely accepted monoplane in the United States was the Ford Trimotor.

    Academic text (2003)

  • Not long after the Ford Trimotor appeared, another pioneering aircraft, the Boeing Monomail, made its debut.

    Academic text (2003)

  • The prototype of the Trimotor made its debut in 1926, equipped with three 420-hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial engines.

    Academic text (2003)

  • If airline development had been left to "free markets" dominated by monopolies, we'd still be waiting for efficient, inexpensive air flights while reading the daily newspapers for news of the latest Ford Trimotor crash and how it sets back cross-country flight.

    Blog text (19)

  • The Ford trimotor was one of the first aircraft to be powered by three engines.

  • During the exhibition, a beautifully restored trimotor took to the skies, showcasing its unique design.

How Many

trimotor
  • Specialized
6.7
twin-prop
  • Specialized
6.8

Surface Forms

trimotor singular
trimotors plural

Morphology

trimotor = motor (transparent) = tri + motor

The prefix 'tri-' clearly indicates three, and 'motor' is a common term for an engine, making the meaning straightforward.

Etymology

The word trimotor comes from the parts tri- meaning 'three' and motor meaning 'engine', just like triangle or tricycle for 'three' and motor for engine. So a trimotor is simply a plane 'powered by three engines'.