air brake

noun

1
: a brake operated by a piston driven by compressed air
2
: a surface that may be projected into the airstream for increasing drag and lowering the speed of an airplane

Examples of air brake in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The rip to 60 mph is 2.7 seconds, and the task of stopping the land missile is aided by twin air brakes that pop up from the rear wings. Sean Evans, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2024 It’s named for the plane George flew over Edwards Air Force Base to drop aerodynamic objects from 43,000 feet, using air brakes and parachutes to avoid crash landings. Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2024 This is also where the Battista’s massive rear wing comes into play, which not only gives you extra downforce over the rear end but also flips up (how profane) to serve as an air brake, slowing this two-door to a halt with sure-footedness. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 15 Aug. 2023 The Agil's straight-line performance is likely held back by the substantial rear wing that can shift forward to act as an air brake and apply even more downforce when slowing for a corner. Caleb Miller, Car and Driver, 16 Aug. 2023 Conventional systems apply air brakes sequentially. Josh Funk, ajc, 31 Mar. 2023 And then there are air brakes on the rail cars, which are triggered without power and are entirely mechanical. Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 22 Feb. 2023 Though the show car is designed to have their movement patterns operated via an iPad, they were also imagined as a potential way to scoop air into the car for cooling, act as an air brake or serve as solar panels. Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 17 Dec. 2022 An air brake in the governor helped adjust the flow. CNN, 2 Nov. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'air brake.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of air brake was in 1846

Dictionary Entries Near air brake

Cite this Entry

“Air brake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/air%20brake. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

air brake

noun
1
: a brake operated by a piston driven by compressed air
2
: a surface that may be quickly positioned into the air for lowering the speed of an airplane

More from Merriam-Webster on air brake

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