Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Barnstormer \Barn"storm`er\, n. [Barn + storm, v.]
An itinerant theatrical player who plays in barns when a theatre is lacking; hence, an inferior actor, or one who plays in the country away from the larger cities. -- Barn"storm`ing, n. [Theatrical Cant]
an aviator who flies an airplane from place to place, usually at small airports, doing flying stunts or flying passengers for sightseeing, for the purpose of earning money. It was a practise common in the early days of aviation, but by late 20th century was seldom encountered.
Wiktionary
highly theatrical (used especially of a performance) v
(present participle of barnstorm English)
Wikipedia
Barnstorming was a form of entertainment in which stunt pilots performed tricks, either individually or in groups called flying circuses. Devised to "impress people with the skill of pilots and the sturdiness of planes", it became popular in the United States during the Roaring Twenties. Barnstormers were pilots who flew throughout the country selling airplane rides and performing stunts; Charles Lindbergh first began flying in this capacity.
Barnstorming is an Atari 2600 video game designed by Steve Cartwright and published by Activision in 1982. Barnstorming was the first game designed by Cartwright. The idea for Barnstorming came to him as he watched a biplane one day while driving home from work.
Barnstorming is a type of stunt piloting (also known as "Flying Circus") performed in the 1920s; the term was earlier used for rural political campaigns, and in general is used to mean a traveling performance.
Barnstorm, barnstormers or barnstorming may also refer to:
- Barnstorming (video game), released on the Atari 2600 in 1982
- Barnstorm (band), rock band from 1972-74 featuring Joe Walsh
- Barnstorm (album), rock album released by Barnstorm and Joe Walsh
- Barnstorm (sports), sports teams that travel between cities performing in front of crowds
- Lancaster Barnstormers, American Professional Baseball team based in Lancaster, PA
- Iowa Barnstormers, American football team
- Barnstormer, band led by Attila the Stockbroker
- Barnstormers (band), Decatur, Alabama based folk band.
- Barnstormers, episode of The Shield television series
Usage examples of "barnstorming".
Besides, I was supporting myself well enough by bike racing and some barnstorming at weekends.
When I was ten years old, Dad took me over to a barnstorming show in a field just outside town.
Their raucous core of senior employees had been a barnstorming crew of 1960s Californians, many of them markedly less than happy with the new button-down multimillion dollar regime at Apple.
Scott brought the big Boeing down through five hundred feet and held the speed to two hundred fifty knots in what felt like a barnstorming maneuver.
By 43, five years before he joined the majors with the Cleveland Indians, Paige was already a legendfor pitching in the Negro leagues and on barnstorming tours.
He wants to sponsor a contest between Mr Bissonettes all-stars and us, a morale booster to kick off the clubs barnstorming tour.
While other men rode trains or chugged around the earth in Model-Ts, barnstorming pilots toured the nation with spectacular "aviation shows," dazzling the yokels at a million county fairs.