Military. the member of a bombing plane crew who operates the bombsight and bomb-release mechanism.
History/Historical. artilleryman.
the member of a bomber aircrew responsible for aiming and releasing the bombs
a noncommissioned rank below the rank of sergeant in the Royal Artillery
Also called: bombardier beetle. any of various small carabid beetles of the genus Brachinus , esp B. crepitans of Europe, which defend themselves by ejecting a jet of volatile fluid
From Middle French, dating back to 1550–60; see origin at bombard, -ier 2
First recorded in 1945–50; after Canadian inventor and industrialist Armand Bombardier (died 1964), who designed it
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Mr Cattini landed on Gold Beach on D-Day as a bombardier in the 86th Field Regiment of the Hertfordshire Yeomanry.
From BBC • May 19, 2023
Kathryn Jean Holt was about 20, playing the marimba at an Orange County USO dance, when she met Richard Koch, an Air Force bombardier and soon-to-be medical student.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2023
His bombardier and first real friend in the service, Danny Shapiro, was later shot down on another plane and held as a prisoner of war for a year.
From New York Times • Dec. 17, 2021
The bombardier stood or knelt down at the nose of the plane and was in charge of releasing the bombs.
From Fox News • Sep. 16, 2021
The military was going to make him a bombardier.
From "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
