volant means having extended wings as if flying. It carries an Arena rating of 1461, earned across 6 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, volant ranks #301 of 17,113 for Most Elegant Words, #1,045 of 17,120 for Most Beautiful Words, #1,123 of 17,130 for Most Ingenious Words, #1,178 of 17,128 for Most Whimsical Words.
volant is pronounced /ˈvəʊlənt/.
Why “volant” is a great word
Flying, or represented in heraldry as flying with wings extended. From Middle French volant, present participle of voler (“to fly”), from Latin volāre (“to fly”), first attested in English use in 1572. Unlike “volitant,” which suggests a restless, fluttering motion, or “soaring,” which implies effortless ascent, volant is the poised, fundamental state of being aloft. It is the gull held motionless against the gale, the hawk etched in bronze with wings at their apex, the silent flag snapping from its mast—the simple, arresting fact of flight, stripped of manner or motion, merely and finally aloft.
Etymology
From Middle French volant, present participle of voler (“to fly”), from Latin volāre.
adj
- Having extended wings as if flying.e.g.“Crest - A horseshoe ar. betw. two wings volant sa. Farrer”
- Represented as unsupported in the air.e.g.“A martlet volant. Motto - In Deo solo spes mea. Kay”
- Flying, or able to fly.e.g.“Alexander the Great […] lanced himself in manner of a Star Volant in the Air, leaping out of the East into the West, […]”
- Moving quickly or lightly, as though flying; nimble.e.g.“he turned to catch through the trees a flitting glimpse of her light dress, her volant attitude, as she sped silently and secretly back to the waiting group on the porch.”
Words closest in meaning
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