Parachute
/ˈpær.ə.ʃuːt/noun
A device that slows a person or object’s descent through the air.
Did you know?Parachute was coined in French in the 18th century from para- “against” and chute “fall,” so its name is basically a verbal spell for refusing the ground.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*per-
“to strike or beat against, or to ward off”
Latin
Latin
parāre
“to prepare, protect, or make ready”
French
Old French/French
para-
“against, warding off”
French
French
chute
“a fall or dropping down”
18th Century
French
parachute
“a device for slowing a fall”
Modern English
English
parachute
“a device that slows descent through the air”