ack-ack

or Ack-Ack

[ ak-ak ]

/ ˈækˌæk /

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noun Informal.(esp. during World War II)

antiaircraft fire.

antiaircraft arms.

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Origin of ack-ack

1935–40; for A.A. (abbreviation of a(nti)a(ircraft)) as said by British signalmen referring to sense 2

Words nearby ack-ack

acinus, -acious, Acis, -acity, ack, ack-ack, ackee, ack-emma, acker, ackey, acknowledge

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ack-ack in a sentence

You know, Ack, the melancholy of it all is that we grew up there.
War Nostalgia Is Leading Veterans to Places Like Syria. One Went Missing There.|Elliot Ackerman|May 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A “Cathy” movie, filled with dietary struggles, overbearing mothers, and a script punctuated by a number of “Ack!”
Lights, Camera, Cocktails|Brody Brown|July 22, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Carlos has been staying busy perfecting his Obama impression including a sketch called BA-L-ACK Obama.
The Comedian-in-Chief|Jocelyn Guest|November 21, 2008|DAILY BEAST
"The ack-ack will knock those planes out of the sky," one of the sailors said.
The Lost Warship|Robert Moore Williams

Ain't nothin' ever gained by not bein' open 'n' above-board; that's my motto, and I ack up to it.
In the Arena|Booth Tarkington
Rocky raised his nose and head, braced himself as though to jump, and delivered a shrill “Ke-ack.”
Watched by Wild Animals|Enos A. Mills
You 'spose dey let dose Crow tak de ack-kisr-attah to Crooked-Bear's boy?
John Ermine of the Yellowstone|Frederic Remington
"And a-callin' of 'em to 'ack Mr. Dicky Hamshaw to pieces," growled Hawkins, adjusting his sights on the figure.
The Great Airship.|F. S. Brereton

British Dictionary definitions for ack-ack

ack-ack

/ (ˈækˌæk) /

noun military

anti-aircraft fire
(as modifier)ack-ack guns

anti-aircraft arms

Word Origin for ack-ack

C20: British army World War I phonetic alphabet for AA, abbreviation of anti-aircraft

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