floatplane
floatplane — noun
1. an aircraft built with long, narrow floats under its body instead of wheels, so
an aircraft built with long, narrow floats under its body instead of wheels, so it can take off from and land on water.
Ryo took photos of the red floatplane gliding across the calm lake at sunrise.
noun phrase: a [colour] floatplane gliding across [water]
The rescue team arrived at the remote island by floatplane within two hours.
travel by floatplane (means of transport)
Nadia booked a small floatplane to fly tourists between the harbour and the lighthouse.
Heavy waves made it dangerous for the floatplane to land near the fishing village.
Pilots in Alaska often fly floatplanes to deliver food and medicine to remote villages.
- seaplane
broader term covering floatplanes and flying boats; more common in everyday English
- pontoon plane
informal North American term, emphasising the float design
- hydroplane
older or technical synonym; also means a fast boat in modern use, so can be ambiguous
- landplane
an aircraft built with wheels for runway use, not water
用法筆記
Subject is usually a pilot, passenger, or rescue/delivery team. Most common with verbs of travel (fly, land, take off) and locations involving water (lake, harbour, coast).