DIRIGIBLE! What does it mean?

Question

I came across this in a crossword I was doing. On looking it up it turned out to be an Airship. OK fine but then I wondered how the h**l did an airship get saddled with a title like that. Where has this word come from? Barrage Baloons and Blimps I'm Happy with but Dirigible NO WAY. Anyone there to enlighten me?

Answer 1

Example of a dirigible  is the Goodyear blimp and the Hindenburg

Dirigible  dirigere   able to be steered  massive structure

Answer 2

Hi ,it's from the french verb Diriger

Answer 3

It's from the Latin dirigere.

The word means steerable, which was not previously a characteristic of balloons.

Answer 4

Sorry.It's all up in the air to me.

Answer 5

It's another word for "blimp" :P

Answer 6

http://dictionary.factmonster.com/dirigi...

Answer 7

Lighter than air transportation (Zeppellin)

Answer 8

Capable of being steered or directed

Answer 9

Airship ??

Answer 10

Dirigible plums are in harry potter..

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dirigib...

Answer 11

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionar...

Answer 12

Dirigible like the  Zeppelin, an airship. don't know, its a bit of a tongue twister.

Answer 13

In many countries, airships are also known as dirigibles from the French (dirigir to direct plus -ible), meaning “directable” or steerable.

pinched from Wiki

Answer 14

dirigible means airship in other languages and 'airships' used to be referred to as a dirigible.