Airdrop
Plain English
Free cryptocurrency given to wallet addresses, usually as a marketing strategy or to reward early supporters. Like a company giving free samples. Sometimes new projects airdrop tokens to people who used their app early. Be careful - some fake airdrops are scams.
Technical
Distribution of tokens to wallet addresses, typically for community building, rewarding early adopters, or decentralizing token supply. Can be claimable (requires user action) or direct (sent automatically). Often retroactive based on on-chain activity criteria. Increasingly uses Merkle trees and claim mechanisms to prevent Sybil attacks and optimize distribution costs.