quadcopter

noun

quad·​cop·​ter ˈkwäd-ˌkäp-tər How to pronounce quadcopter (audio)
plural quadcopters
: a drone (see drone entry 1 sense 2) deriving lift from four separate rotors each oriented about a vertical axis : quadrotor
It's a quadcopter, meaning it's a miniature helicopter with four rotors; basically it looks like a giant four-leaf clover designed by Darth Vader.Lev Grossman
A remote control quadcopter-type model helicopter flew directly through the U.S. Coast Guard base at the Arcata-Eureka Airport in McKinleyville on Saturday afternoon …Eureka Times Standard (California)

Examples of quadcopter 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.
Foreign allies may not provide the help needed, but a fleet of scout/bomber quadcopters with precision weapons could rapidly chew up a Russian invasion. Follow me on Twitter. David Hambling, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025 But a similar attack might succeed in implanting malware into the drones themselves, with potentially catastrophic results for 200,000 Russian DJI quadcopters. David Hambling, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025 The video shows several engagements in which a drone with two shotgun barrels shoots down quadcopters, mainly carrying bombs. David Hambling, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025 The small quadcopter is light enough to sidestep FAA registration requirements so beginner pilots can use it without a fee and with fewer restrictions than heavier drones. PC Magazine, 30 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for quadcopter

Word History

Etymology

quad entry 5 + -copter (in helicopter entry 1)

First Known Use

2004, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of quadcopter was in 2004

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Cite this Entry

“Quadcopter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quadcopter. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

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