As a noun, “dirigible” refers to a type of airship that is steerable or capable of being controlled, such as a blimp. Early blimp designs date back to the late 18th century, but the first flight of a dirigible aircraft occurred in France in 1852 — more than 50 years before the Wright brothers’ first flight. The name of the airship comes from the French word “diriger,” meaning “to steer.” We can use the word “dirigible” as an adjective as well, meaning “capable of being steered, guided, or directed.”