arresting gear
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English
[edit]Noun
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/VFA-147_FA-18C_Hornet_catching_arresting_wire_on_USS_Nimitz_%28CVN-68%29_971106-N-6939M-269.jpg/220px-VFA-147_FA-18C_Hornet_catching_arresting_wire_on_USS_Nimitz_%28CVN-68%29_971106-N-6939M-269.jpg)
arresting gear (countable and uncountable, plural arresting gears)
- (aviation, military) A system used to quickly decelerate a landing aircraft, essential for landing on an aircraft carrier (although land-based airfields can also be equipped with arresting gear); the most common system consists of a series of transverse wire ropes designed to snag an aircraft's tailhook, connected to a hydraulic or mechanical energy-absorbing system, but other systems exist (typically only for use in an emergency situation) which use a net to slow down an aircraft.
Usage notes
[edit]Arresting gear is usually uncountable; the plural form is generally only used when referring to multiple different types of arresting gear.