hydrofoil
noun
hy·dro·foil
| \ ˈhī-drə-ˌfȯi(-ə)l
\
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Definition of hydrofoil
1
: a body similar to an airfoil but designed for action in or on water
2
: a motorboat that has metal plates or fins attached by struts fore and aft for lifting the hull clear of the water as speed is attained
Illustration of hydrofoil
hydrofoil 2
Examples of hydrofoil in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
An oscillating hydrofoil resembles an aircraft wing, but with a symmetrical elliptical cross section that allows for energy harvesting as the tide ebbs and flows. — Shweta Narayan, Smithsonian, "How Engineers of New Energy Technology Are Taking Cues From Nature," 31 Aug. 2019 Agent 007 scuba dives after SPECTRE’s Largo hijacks nuclear bombs with a hydrofoil yacht. — Los Angeles Times, "Movies on TV this week Sept. 1 - 7, 2019: John Wayne in ‘The Searchers’ and more," 30 Aug. 2019 Among Alexander Graham Bell's other inventions: a metal detector to try to locate the bullet that ultimately took the life of President James Garfield; and a hydrofoil that reached the then-unheard-of speed of 72 miles per hour. — CBS News, "Almanac: The day telephones fell silent across North America," 4 Aug. 2019 In the final days of President Jerry Ford’s campaign in 1976, Ford was in Seattle riding on a Boeing hydrofoil in Elliott Bay. — Greg Gilbert, The Seattle Times, "In 52 years at The Seattle Times, photographer Greg Gilbert has seen it all. But he wants to see more.," 31 July 2019 Chuck Patterson and his friends were taking their boat out for hydrofoil surfing when the dolphins appeared in the waters off Laguna Beach. — Fox News, "Dolphin ‘mega pod’ off California coast stuns onlookers, video shows," 18 July 2019 First an 80-ton hydrofoil sled will roll forward with the help of a cable and truck tires, producing the rickety sound made by a roller coaster at the beginning of its climb. — Dan Fitzpatrick, WSJ, "What Happened When I Tried to Surf an Artificial Mega Wave," 16 May 2019 From our base in the small city of Salerno, travel by hydrofoil to Capri. — National Geographic, "Italy & Greece High School Expedition," 12 June 2019 The ships were hydrofoil craft, each fitted with an extendable blade in the bow that, coupled with a General Electric LM2500 gas turbine engine, could propel the tiny 237 ton boat to a blazing 48 knots. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The Strange, Sad Odyssey of the USS Gemini," 25 July 2016These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hydrofoil.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for hydrofoil
hydrofoil
noun
English Language Learners Definition of hydrofoil
: a very fast boat that rises partly out of the water when moving at high speeds
See the full definition for hydrofoil in the English Language Learners Dictionary