blimp

noun

ˈblimp How to pronounce blimp (audio)
1
: an airship that maintains its form by pressure from contained gas
2
Blimp : colonel blimp

Examples of blimp 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.
At the grand opening of a store, a man jumped out of a blimp into the parking lot. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026 Others idled at the edge of the firelight while the red lights of a surveillance blimp blinked over the mountains to the east. — Ryan Devereaux, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 2026 Sceye isn't floating alone up there, and not everyone is betting on blimps. — New Atlas, 3 Oct. 2026 Goodyear and Spirit Halloween have partnered for the first time to bring a blimp costume to life, allowing fans who have watched the blimp fly over football games and NASCAR races to celebrate the unique mode of transportation. — Irene Wright, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for blimp

Word History

Etymology

imitative; perhaps from the sound made by striking the gas bag with the thumb

First Known Use

1916, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of blimp was in 1916

Rhymes for blimp

See All Rhymes for blimp

Browse Nearby Words

blimey
blimp
blimpish
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Blimp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blimp. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

blimp

noun
ˈblimp How to pronounce blimp (audio)
: an airship filled with gas like a balloon

More from Merriam-Webster on blimp

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about blimp

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Pyrrhic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All