hydrofoil

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Australia/ˈhɑe.dɹəˌfoɪl/US/ˈhaɪ.dɹoʊˌfɔɪl/

noun

A wing attached to the hull of a ship that raises it out of the water when travelling at speed and thus reduces drag.

Similar
hydroplanefoil
UncommonScrabble 19
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Meanings

nounhydrofoil (plural hydrofoils)

plural hydrofoils

  1. nauticalA wing attached to the hull of a ship that raises it out of the water when travelling at speed and thus reduces drag.
  2. nauticalA vessel equipped with such a device.
verbhydrofoil (third-person singular simple present hydrofoils, present participle hydrofoiling, simple past and past participle hydrofoiled)

present singular third person hydrofoils · participle present hydrofoiling · participle past hydrofoiled · past hydrofoiled

  1. intransitivenauticalTo operate or use or ride atop a hydrofoil wing on a hull so equipped.

    Synonyms: foil

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo operate or use or ride atop a hydrofoil wing on a hull so equipped.

Similar
foil
Similar
hydroplane

More synonyms by meaning

nouna device consisting of a flat or curved piece (as a metal plate) so that its surface reacts to the water it is passing through

Similar
foil
Broader
device

nouna speedboat that is equipped with winglike structures that lift it so that it skims the water at high speeds

Similar
hydroplane
Broader
speedboat
Also see
foilhydrodromehydroplane

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From hydro- + foil.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian хидрофо́йл, хидрофо́йл
  • хидрофо́йл (hidrofójl)wing
  • хидрофо́йл (hidrofójl)vessel
Catalan hidròpter
  • hidròptervessel
Chinese Mandarin 水翼船
  • 水翼船 (shuǐyìchuán)vessel
Dutch draagvleugel, draagvleugelboot
  • draagvleugelwing
  • draagvleugelbootvessel
Finnish kantosiipi, kantosiipialus
  • kantosiipiwing
  • kantosiipialusvessel
  • ajaa kantosiipialustato operate a hydrofoil
  • liikennöidä kantosiipialuksellato operate a hydrofoil
  • foilatato operate a hydrofoil
French plan porteur, hydroptère
  • plan porteurwing
  • hydroptèrevessel
German Tragflügel, Tragflügelboot
  • Tragflügelwing
  • Tragflügelbootvessel
Greek υδρολισθητήρας, υδροπτέρυγο
  • υδρολισθητήρας (ydrolisthitíras)vessel
  • υδροπτέρυγο (ydroptérygo)vessel
Icelandic spaðabátur
  • spaðabáturvessel
Italian ala portante, aliscafo
  • ala portantewing
  • aliscafovessel
Japanese 水中翼船
  • 水中翼船 (suichūyokusen)vessel
Polish hydropłat, wodolot
  • hydropłatwing
  • wodolotvessel
  • hydroplanvessel
  • pływać wodolotemto operate a hydrofoil
Portuguese hidrofólio, hidrofólio
  • hidrofóliowing
  • hidrofóliovessel
Russian подво́дное крыло́, гидрофо́йл
  • подво́дное крыло́ (podvódnoje kryló)wing
  • гидрофо́йл (gidrofójl)wing
  • гидрокрыло́ (gidrokryló)wing
  • су́дно на подво́дных кры́льях (súdno na podvódnyx krýlʹjax)vessel
  • СПК (SPK)vessel
  • гидрофо́йл (gidrofójl)vessel
Spanish hidroala, hidroaleta
  • hidroalawing
  • hidroaletawing
  • alíscafovessel
  • aliscafovessel
  • hidroplanovessel
Swedish bärplansbåt
  • bärplansbåtvessel
Turkish deniz otobüsü
  • deniz otobüsüvessel
Vietnamese tàu cánh ngầm
  • tàu cánh ngầmvessel
Cite this entry
APA

hydrofoil. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hydrofoil

MLA

“hydrofoil.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hydrofoil. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hydrofoil,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hydrofoil.

Source: hydrofoil on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.