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• bombardier
  bombardier

  noun

  the member of a bombing plane crew who operates the bombsight and bomb-release mechanism.
• Bombardier
  Bombardier

  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 American  

[bom-ber-deer, -buh-] / ˌbɒm bərˈdɪər, -bə- /

noun

1. Military. the member of a bombing plane crew who operates the bombsight and bomb-release mechanism.

2. History/Historical. artilleryman.

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Bombardier ² American  

[bom-ber-deer, -buh-, bom-bahr-dyey] / ˌbɒm bərˈdɪər, -bə-, ˌbɒm bɑrˈdjeɪ /

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.

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bombardier ¹ British  

/ 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 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

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Bombardier ² British  

/ ˌbɒmbəˈdɪə /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of bombardier¹

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

Origin of Bombardier²

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bombardier Bombardier

Air Force tasked Edward Ruppelt, a wartime bombardier, with gathering and analyzing pilots’ reports for a program called Project Blue Book.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

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

Charles V. Carlson, a badly wounded bombardier whose B-17 Flying Fortress had been shot down over Stambruges, Belgium, in October 1943.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 24, 2022

Before Louie had begun his bombardier training, he had received a letter from a friend who was an air corps cadet.

From "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand

Bombardier said in a statement that its “plan is to continue to invest in our people, our customers and the communities in which we operate across the country.”

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026

Bombardier models remain US certified and the company is currently exempt from US tariffs.

From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 2026

Bombardier also grew its backlog, which at the end of the quarter stood at $21.8 billion, a $4.3-billion increase from the end of 2025, thanks to both civil and defense customers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

Production of an earlier model was halted in 2015 after previous owner Bombardier ran through its order book, delivering some 225 aircraft.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

London, April 18th, 1923.—Since the days of Jim Corbett no more polished exponent of the fistic art has graced the ring than our Bombardier Billy.

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 159, December 15, 1920 by Sir Owen Seaman