air base

American  

noun

1. an operations center for units of an air force.

2. Aerial Photogrammetry.

   1. a line joining two camera stations.

   2. the length of this line.

3. the distance between the points on the ground over which an aerial photograph is taken.

---

air base British  

noun

1. Also called: air station.  a centre from which military aircraft operate

---

Etymology

Origin of air base

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

Satellite imagery seen by the BBC show that construction has continued at the airbase despite the court halting it.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

Military aircraft have been seen flying in and out of the airbase in what experts say is ongoing preparation despite the court order.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

So far, Turkey appears to have been spared, despite US troops being stationed at several of its bases, one of which is the Incirlik airbase which lies just outside the southern city of Adana.

From Barron's • Mar. 9, 2026

They encompass communities well beyond the fenced-off airbase of RAF Akrotiri, on the island's southern tip.

From BBC • Mar. 8, 2026

The biggest and most dangerous Japanese airbase was at Rabaul on the northwest tip of New Britain Island.

From "Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two" by Joseph Bruchac