1. a heavier-than-air aircraft designed to fly by flapping wings like a bird
Usage: also called ornithopter; primarily used in aeronautical engineering and aviation contexts

Examples

• Engineers have been experimenting with orthopter designs for centuries.
• The orthopter mimics the wing movements of birds to generate lift.
• Modern orthopters remain largely experimental aircraft.
• Leonardo da Vinci sketched early concepts for an orthopter in his notebooks.
• Building a functional orthopter requires precise understanding of aerodynamics and biomechanics.