airstrip

airstrip — noun

1. a cleared stretch of ground where aircraft can land and take off, usually in a r

1.nounB2
Definition

a cleared stretch of ground where aircraft can land and take off, usually in a remote place and without the buildings or services of a full airport.

Example

The doctor landed on the jungle airstrip before sunset.

land on an airstrip

Workers cleared stones from the airstrip after last night's storm.

clear an airstrip before landing

Common collocations
  • dirt airstrip
  • jungle airstrip
  • private airstrip
  • remote airstrip
  • emergency airstrip
Synonyms
  • runway

    the prepared surface itself, often as one part of an airport

  • airfield

    broader word for a place where aircraft operate, sometimes with more facilities

  • landing strip

    close everyday synonym, often used for rough or simple sites

Grammar Patterns

on the airstrip

at the airstrip

private airstrip

Usage Note

Usually refers to a simple landing place in the countryside, on private land, or in an emergency area, rather than a passenger airport. Unlike runway, it often suggests the whole small site, not just the prepared track.

Common Mistakes

The village has airstrip for medical flights.
The village has an airstrip for medical flights.
singular countable nouns need an article.
The rescue plane landed at the runway in the forest.
The rescue plane landed on the airstrip in the forest.
'runway' often means the prepared track at an airport, while 'airstrip' suggests a simpler landing area.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These words all relate to places where planes use the ground, but they are not interchangeable. An 'airstrip' is a simple place for aircraft to land and leave the ground again, often on an island, in the bush, or on private land, with few buildings. A 'runway' is the prepared track itself, usually inside an airport or airfield. An 'airfield' is broader than 'airstrip' and can include hangars, fuel, or several runways. An 'airport' is the largest and most public option, with terminals and passenger services. Say 'The pilot landed on a rough airstrip,' but 'The plane waited on the runway' and 'We met at the airport.'

airstrip ↗runwayairfieldairport ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • dirt airstrip
  • private airstrip
  • emergency airstrip
  • jungle airstrip

Phrases

  • land on an airstrip
  • build an airstrip
  • clear an airstrip

Prepositions

  • at the airstrip
  • on the airstrip
  • near the airstrip

Etymology

English

Built in English from 'air' and 'strip'. Here 'strip' means a long, narrow piece of land, so the compound literally describes a narrow area used by aircraft. The word became common in the twentieth century as flying spread to remote places that did not have full airports.