landing gear

noun

: the part that supports the weight of an airplane or spacecraft when in contact with the land or water

Examples of landing gear 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.
The second piece is a shock-absorbing landing gear – 38 friction disks that soak up the force of impact so the drone doesn't bounce. — New Atlas, 1 Sep. 2026 Another shows someone climbing into a helicopter, stepping from a roof terrace, onto the landing gear and then into the cockpit, after appearing to take off their t-shirt to wave and attract the aircraft’s attention. — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026 On Tuesday, June 16, the body of an unidentified man was found in the landing gear of a plane after an Air Arabia flight from Tangier, Morocco, landed at Gatwick Airport in West Sussex, according to the BBC, The Argus and The Standard. — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026 Used in the group’s previous drone research, this landing gear disperses energy to reduce impact and overcomes multiple engineering challenges. — Tim Hornyak, IEEE Spectrum, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for landing gear

Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of landing gear was in 1911

Rhymes for landing gear

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Browse Nearby Words

landing force
landing gear
landing light
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Landing gear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/landing%20gear. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

landing gear

noun
: the part that supports the weight of an aircraft or spacecraft when on the ground

More from Merriam-Webster on landing gear

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about landing gear

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