dive bomber

American  

noun

1. an airplane of the fighter-bomber type that drops its bombs while diving at the enemy.

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dive bomber British  

noun

1. a military aircraft designed to release its bombs on a target during a steep dive

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Etymology

Origin of dive bomber

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

Before departing, Biden visited the John Sidney McCain III Memorial near the site where, as a 31-year-old Navy lieutenant commander, McCain’s Skyhawk dive bomber was shot down by the North Vietnamese.

From Washington Times • Sep. 11, 2023

The aircraft collection consists of 23 warplanes, mostly from World War II, including a British Spitfire, a Japanese Zero, a German Stuka dive bomber, a Soviet Ilyushin II and a U.S.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 4, 2022

CHAY-DA-GAHI, which translates to "turtle," came to mean a tank, while a GINI, "chicken hawk" in English, became a dive bomber.

From Reuters • Jun. 5, 2014

I once flew on a Caravelle in France that descended for landing like it was a dive bomber.

From BBC • Jul. 4, 2012

This report says His Majesty's carrier, Staunch, has on board a new type of dive bomber which put a pocket battleship out of action and later landed upon the deck of the carrier.

From A Yankee Flier with the R.A.F. by Montgomery, Rutherford George