Transportation: English Vocabulary List

relating to a plane or other aircraft

"We saw an aerial view."

"The pilot provided an aerial perspective of the entire city below."

the base of operation for the aircraft of military forces

"Military airbase located."

"The military airbase is located far from the city for security reasons every day."

a level area in which military or private aircraft can take off and land

"Small airfield used."

"The small airfield is used mainly for private planes and emergency landings every week."

the renting of a plane, ship, etc.

"They charter a boat."

"A charter is a formal document granting rights or powers to a person or institution from a sovereign or an authoritative legislative body."

a flight in which a travel agency pays for all the tickets beforehand and then sells them to their customers

"Book charter flight."

"We decided to book a charter flight because it was much cheaper than regular airline tickets last month."

a large aircraft for transporting passengers

"The airliner flew high."

"The commercial airliner cruised at thirty five thousand feet above the clouds during the flight."

a long and narrow piece of land where an aircraft can take off or land

"Grass airstrip used."

"The small grass airstrip is used by light aircraft in remote areas every week."

a person who operates an aircraft

"The aviator flew across the Atlantic Ocean."

"The aviator wore leather goggles and a helmet as he climbed into the cockpit of his biplane."

a continuous moving surface or strip, used for transporting objects from one part of a building to another, especially in a factory or an airport

"Airport conveyor belt moves."

"The airport conveyor belt moves luggage automatically from the plane to the arrival hall every day."

the place at an airport or port where passengers' bags are checked for illegal goods as they enter a country

"Go through customs now."

"Going through customs took nearly two hours because the officers were carefully inspecting every suitcase due to reports of illegal items being smuggled."

(off passengers) to get off a plane, train, or ship once it has reached its destination

"Passengers disembark from the plane carefully."

"All passengers must disembark the train at the final station because the train will not go any further."

a device in a plane that records all the information during the flight which is used to discover the cause in case of an accident

"Airplane black box records."

"The airplane black box records all flight data and helps investigators understand what happened during accidents."

a cheap ticket that is not available in advance, purchasable just before the departure of a plane or the start of a performance

"Buy standby ticket."

"We managed to buy a cheap standby ticket at the last minute for the flight yesterday."

(of a train) to accidentally go off the tracks

"The train derailed near the station."

"The heavy snow caused the train to derail but fortunately no one was seriously injured."

a powered railroad vehicle that pulls a train along

"Steam locomotive used."

"The old steam locomotive is still used for tourist trips in the mountains during summer every year."

a railway system that has only one rail instead of two, usually in an elevated position

"Monorail is fast."

"The airport monorail connects the main terminal to the long term parking lot quickly."

a black sticky substance which is the combination of dark bituminous pitch with sand or gravel, commonly used in building roads

"Black asphalt road."

"The road was covered with fresh black asphalt last week to make it smoother for vehicles."

a device in a motor vehicle used to maintain a constant speed that is based on the preference of the driver

"Use cruise control."

"You can use cruise control on the highway to maintain constant speed without pressing the accelerator."

a large car in which the engine delivers power to all four wheels

"Drive sport utility vehicle."

"Many families prefer to drive a sport utility vehicle because it is spacious and safe for children."

a ship, aircraft, or road vehicle for carrying liquids, particularly crude oil or gas in large quantities

"The tanker carried oil."

"The tanker arrived today carrying thousands of liters of fuel to the coastal facility"

a car having a closed body with two or four doors and a separated trunk in the back

"The family car is a four door sedan."

"The family sedan had enough room for two adults and three children plus luggage in the trunk."

toward the land from the direction of a ship or the sea

"The sailor swam ashore after the shipwreck."

"The sailor swam ashore after the shipwreck and collapsed on the beach exhausted and relieved to be alive."

(of a boat) to be overturned or to cause it to overturn

"The boat capsized in rough seas."

"The small boat suddenly capsized when the passengers all moved to one side at the same time causing it to become unstable."

a number of vehicles or ships that travel together and are often escorted with armed troops protection

"Military convoy moved."

"The military convoy moved slowly through the desert under heavy protection last week."

the time at which one is likely to arrive at one's destination

"Our estimated time of arrival is three o'clock in the afternoon."

"The estimated time of arrival is the approximate time a journey is expected to be completed"

the time at which an aircraft, ship, etc. is scheduled for departure

"The estimated time of departure is shown on the flight board."

"The estimated time of departure is the projected time a vehicle or vessel is expected to leave"

official authorization from an airport control tower for an aircraft to take off, land, or proceed on a specified route

"Get clearance to land."

"The pilot requested clearance from air traffic control before initiating his descent towards the runway."

the very first moment of landing during which the plane's wheels hit the ground

"Smooth touchdown made."

"The pilot made a very smooth touchdown on the runway after a long flight yesterday."

a small place where transport vehicles, such as buses or trains, stop to unload their passengers and content

"Train depot converted."

"The old train depot was converted into a popular cultural center and museum last year."

to signal an approaching taxi or bus to stop

"Hail a taxi now."

"He frantically tried to hail a taxi during the downpour to get out of the rain."

someone whose job is carrying people's baggage, particularly at airports, hotels, etc.

"The porter carried bags."

"The hotel porter carried their heavy suitcases up to the room on the third floor."

a vehicle with large rear wheels and thick tires, mostly used on farms

"The tractor is powerful."

"The farmer used his tractor to plow the field attaching a harrow behind to break up large clumps of soil before planting."

a short road or pathway that allows vehicles to enter or exit a main road or highway

"Use the ramp to exit."

"The construction crew built a temporary ramp to allow access during road repairs."

(of boats or ships) floating without being anchored or controlled by anyone

"The boat floated adrift on the ocean."

"The boat floated adrift on the ocean after the engine failed and the sailors had to wait for rescue."

to moor a ship or boat to the bottom of the sea to stop it from moving away

"We anchor the boat."

"The captain decided to anchor the ship in the sheltered bay to avoid the approaching storm."

a large naval ship equipped to launch and recover aircraft from a flat deck

"It is an aircraft carrier."

"The naval carrier served as a vital platform for launching and recovering fighter jets during the conflict."

a ship that is destroyed or sunk at sea

"Old shipwreck explored."

"Divers explored the old shipwreck lying at the bottom of the sea near the coast last summer."

a large luxurious passenger ship, especially one that travels on a regular schedule and is used for long journeys

"Ocean liner carried."

"The luxurious ocean liner carried passengers across the Atlantic many years ago successfully."

an official list of goods, cargo, or passengers carried on a ship, airplane, or other vehicle, used for customs, shipping, or transport purposes

"Cargo manifest checked."

"The captain checked the cargo manifest carefully before departure from the port last week."

in the sea, but not too far from the coast

"Boats sail offshore."

"The company decided to invest in new wind turbines located offshore to harness renewable energy."