airspeed

or air speed

[ air-speed ]
/ ˈɛərˌspid /

noun

the forward speed of an aircraft relative to the air through which it moves.
Compare groundspeed.

Origin of airspeed

First recorded in 1905–10; air1 + speed

Words nearby airspeed

airshow, airsick, airsickness, airside, airspace, airspeed, airspeed indicator, airstream, airstrip, airt, airtight

Example sentences from the Web for airspeed

  • The pilot, a big-boned Britisher who had two jobs to do at once, watched the airspeed indicator.

    What The Left Hand Was Doing |Gordon Randall Garrett

  • I've never had her above 2.5, but the airspeed gauge is marked up to four.

    The Cosmic Computer |Henry Beam Piper

British Dictionary definitions for airspeed

airspeed
/ (ˈɛəˌspiːd) /

noun

the speed of an aircraft relative to the air in which it moves Compare groundspeed