fighter

[fahy-ter]

See more synonyms for fighter on Thesaurus.com

noun

a boxer; pugilist.
Military. an aircraft designed to seek out and destroy enemy aircraft in the air and to protect bomber aircraft.
a person who fights, struggles, resists, etc.

a person with the will, courage, determination, ability, or disposition to fight, struggle, resist, etc.
an animal, as a dog, trained to fight or having the disposition to fight.

Origin of fighter

before 1000; Middle English; Old English fēohtere. See fight, -er¹

Related formsnon·fight·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for fighter

warrior, champion, mercenary, assailant, militant, soldier, boxer, combatant, opponent, tanker, warlord, heavy, competitor, bully, rival, belligerent, contender, pugilist, aggressor, antagonist

Examples from the Web for fighter

Contemporary Examples of fighter

Back then, no one ever imagined needing to beam live video to ground troops from a fighter jet.
Newest U.S. Stealth Fighter ‘10 Years Behind’ Older Jets
Dave Majumdar
December 26, 2014
The Islamic State, or ISIS, claims it has shot down a Jordanian fighter jet and captured its pilot.
Did ISIS Shoot Down a Fighter Jet?
Jamie Dettmer, Christopher Dickey
December 24, 2014
“Getting a first shot is one thing,” said a former Air Force fighter pilot with extensive experience with Russian weapons.
Pentagon Worries That Russia Can Now Outshoot U.S. Stealth Jets
Dave Majumdar
December 4, 2014
American fighter planes are the fastest, most maneuverable jets in the world.
Pentagon Worries That Russia Can Now Outshoot U.S. Stealth Jets
Dave Majumdar
December 4, 2014
Reuters, for instance, reported flatly: “Russian TV channel says photos show MH17 shot down by fighter jet.”
Digital Doublethink: Playing Truth or Dare with Putin, Assad and ISIS
Christopher Dickey, Anna Nemtsova
November 16, 2014

Historical Examples of fighter

I seen some hard times myself, and this boy's father was a fighter, too.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
He was suffering, and chiefly for her, and what a fighter he was!
Southern Lights and Shadows
Various
Bismarck inveighs against the ingratitude of kings—A fighter to the end.
Blood and Iron
John Hubert Greusel
We cracked up on a fighter strip while bombing with Mustangs.
A Yankee Flier Over Berlin
Al Avery
They circled, taking a good look at this new type of fighter.
A Yankee Flier Over Berlin
Al Avery

British Dictionary definitions for fighter

fighter

noun

a person who fights, esp a professional boxer
a person who has determination
military an armed aircraft designed for destroying other 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

Word Origin and History for fighter

Old English feohtere; agent noun from fight (v.). Cf. German Fechter. Meaning "fast military airplane used for combat" is from 1917.