aerostat

noun

aero·​stat ˈer-ō-ˌstat How to pronounce aerostat (audio)
: a lighter-than-air aircraft (such as a balloon or blimp) compare aerodyne

Examples of aerostat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Each aerostat, floating up to 600 meters above the ground, will provide coverage equal to 30 traditional cell towers. — IEEE Spectrum, 7 Jan. 2018 Jiang and his team have for years stressed that balloons offer cheap surveillance platforms able to follow motor vehicles and people, similar to the U.S. use of aerostats in Afghanistan during the war there. — Lily Kuo, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2023

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French aérostat, probably back-formation from aérostatique "of aerostatics," with -stat (after héliostat heliostat) taken as the Greek agentive element -statēs "one who causes to stand" — more at -stat

First Known Use

1784, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of aerostat was in 1784

Rhymes for aerostat

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Browse Nearby Words

aerospike
aerostat
aerostatic
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Cite this Entry

“Aerostat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aerostat. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

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