lighter-than-air

[ lahy-ter-th uh n-air ]

/ ˈlaɪ tər ðənˈɛər /

(of an aircraft) weighing less than the air it displaces, hence obtaining lift from aerostatic buoyancy.

of or relating to lighter-than-air craft.

Origin of lighter-than-air

First recorded in 1900–05

Until then trans-ocean flying on a commercial basis must be monopolized by lighter-than-air craft.

Flying the Atlantic in Sixteen Hours |Arthur Whitten Brown
"The Wright brothers invented the lighter-than-air ship early in the twentieth century," he said.

The Lost Warship |Robert Moore Williams
At that point came the true division between heavier-than-air and lighter-than-air machines.

The Boy's Book of New Inventions |Harry E. Maule
Dominick, however, wished more than I did to see his lighter-than-air craft in all its glory.

Life's Minor Collisions |Frances Warner

Balloons, the most elementary form of lighter-than-air air-craft, unprovided with any means of propulsion or steering.

The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 3 |Various