[syn: drogue, drogue chute, drogue parachute]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
parachute \par"a*chute\, v. i.
TO descend to th ground from an airplane or other high place
using a parachute; as, when the plane stalled, he parachuted
safely to the ground.
[PJC]
golden parachute a generous set of financial benefits,
including severance pay, provided by contract to a
high-level corporate employee in the event s/he is
dismissed or his/her job is lost in a corporate takeover
or merger; also, the contract providing for such benefits.
drogue parachute a small parachute that is first released
and opened in order to more reliably deploy a larger
parachute. Also called drogue.
[PJC] parachuter
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Drogue \Drogue\ (dr[=o]g), n.
1. (Naut.) See Drag, n., 6, and Drag sail, under Drag,
n.
[1913 Webster]
2. a small parachute dragged behind a vehicle as a means of
stabilizing it, or deployed first so as to assist opening
of a larger parachute.
[PJC]
3. a funnel-shaped attachment at the end of a hose suspended
from a tanker airplane in flight, to which the probe of
another airplane may connect, so as to complete a
connecting hose line through which fuel may be transferred
from the tanker to the following airplane. It is used for
in-flight refueling.
[PJC]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
drogue
n 1: a funnel-shaped device towed as a target by an airplane
2: a truncated cloth cone mounted on a mast; used (e.g., at
airports) to show the direction of the wind [syn: windsock,
wind sock, sock, air sock, air-sleeve, wind sleeve,
wind cone, drogue]
3: restraint consisting of a canvas covered frame that floats
behind a vessel; prevents drifting or maintains the heading
into a wind [syn: sea anchor, drogue]
4: a parachute used to decelerate an object that is moving
rapidly [syn: drogue, drogue chute, drogue parachute]