airframe

American

[air-fraym] / ˈɛərˌfreɪm /

noun

the framework and external covering of an airplane, rocket, etc.

airframe British

/ ˈɛəˌfreɪm /

noun

the body of an aircraft, excluding its engines

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of airframe

First recorded in 1930–35; air(plane) + frame

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

airframe

AEVEX, which is already a Pentagon supplier, provided the design for the Taiwan-made, 3-D-printed airframe.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

Jet propulsion and a reconfigured airframe make the latest-version Gerans act more like cruise missiles.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

“Even though the airframe from the original concept is quite old, the Air Force has stayed up with modifications,” said J. F. Joseph, a retired airline pilot and U.S.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026

Strain gauges installed throughout the aircraft measured structural loads and recorded how the airframe responded to various forces encountered during testing.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 1, 2026

She turned back steeply, lost no height, and swore again as the airframe shuddered, automatic flaps clattering alarmingly as the plane tried to decide what speed it was flying.

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023