volplane
English
Etymology
From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] French vol plané (“gliding flight”).
Pronunciation
Noun
volplane (plural volplanes)
- A steep, controlled dive, especially by an aircraft with the engine off.
Verb
volplane (third-person singular simple present volplan, present participle ing, simple past and past participle volplaned)
- To make a volplane.
- 1973, Thomas Pynchon, Gravity's Rainbow:
- Curtains of vapor drift back to reveal the Americans, volplaning along well inside ten meters and only a little faster than the balloon.
- 1973, Thomas Pynchon, Gravity's Rainbow: