bombardier

¹

[ bom-ber-deer, -buh- ]

noun

1. Military. the member of a bombing plane crew who operates the bombsight and bomb-release mechanism.
2. History/Historical. artilleryman.

Bombardier

²

[ bom-ber-deer, -buh-, bom-bahr-dyey ]

Trademark, Canadian.

1. a snowmobilelike vehicle driven by an internal-combustion engine, equipped with caterpillar tracks at the rear, steered by skis at the front, and designed for travel over snow.

Bombardier

¹

/ ˌbɒmbəˈdɪə /

noun

1. a snow tractor, typically having caterpillar tracks at the rear and skis at the front

bombardier

²

/ ˌbɒmbəˈdɪə /

noun

1. the member of a bomber aircrew responsible for aiming and releasing the bombs
2. a noncommissioned rank below the rank of sergeant in the Royal Artillery
3. Also calledbombardier 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of bombardier¹

From Middle French, dating back to 1550–60; bombard, -ier ²

Origin of bombardier²

First recorded in 1945–50; after Canadian inventor and industrialist Armand Bombardier (died 1964), who designed it

Word History and Origins

Origin of bombardier¹

C20: named after J. A. Bombardier , Canadian inventor and manufacturer

Origin of bombardier²

C16: from Old French: one directing a bombard; see bombard

Example Sentences

Dutch engineer Carl Norden’s invention of a bombsight that could supposedly enable a bombardier to drop a missile into a pickle barrel from six miles up had made precision bombing possible.

From Washington Post

Neither, staring through his bombsight, could bombardier Umphress.

From The Daily Beast

As a bombardier Yossarian is “the best man in the group at evasive action.”

From The Daily Beast

The Canadian-built Bombardier Q400 turbo-prop had an automatic stall-protection system.

From The Daily Beast

It was a different type of plane, a European-built ATR-72 (the Bombardier is a Canadian plane).

From The Daily Beast

They were crouching in one of the gun-pits—a bombardier and three gunners, very cold and very miserable.

From Project Gutenberg

Fig. 508 presents Calosoma sycophanta pursuing a Bombardier (Brachinus explodens), which squirts out a vapour of pungent odour.

From Project Gutenberg

Bombardier Havelock was wounded in the thigh by fragments of shell.

From Project Gutenberg

Pickersdyke swore as he had not done since he was a rough-riding bombardier.

From Project Gutenberg

He had made himself one moment of leisure, and visited Bombardier Lane, but without result.

From Project Gutenberg