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Added 9 October 2026

blimp

/ˈblɪmp/ noun

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about blimp at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

An airship constructed with a nonrigid lifting agent container.
Any large airborne inflatable.
An obese person.

verb

To expand like a blimp or balloon; to become fat.
To fit (a video camera) with a soundproof cover.

Origin

Origin not entirely certain. However, most historians believe that it is onomatopoeia for the sound a blimp makes when thumped. Although there is some disagreement among historians, credit for coining the term is usually given to Lt. A. D. Cunningham of the British Royal Navy in 1915. There is an often repeated, but false, alternative explanation for the term. The erroneous story is that at some time in the early 20th century, the United States military had two classes for airships: Type A-rigid and Type B-limp, hence “blimp”. In fact, A. D.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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