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.

Nearby words

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. 2019

Examples from the Web for 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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
“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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

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|DAILY BEAST
I thought him a coward last night, but it looks as if he's a fighter when once he gets started.
The White Waterfall|James Francis Dwyer
Now, in one way, I like Merwell—he's a fighter and he doesn't care who knows it.
Dave Porter in the Far North|Edward Stratemeyer
They were rewarded by a third thundering flypast of the fighter planes.
And Then the Town Took Off|Richard Wilson
The spirit of the fighter who knows not fear flashed from his sombre blue eyes.
Dreamers of the Ghetto|I. Zangwill
The same open, bold countenance of the Admiral, the same frank and manly bearing, showed him to be a sailor and a fighter.
The Tory Maid|Herbert Baird Stimpson

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

fighter

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

fighter

noun

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Origin of fighter

Examples from the Web for fighter

fighter

noun

fighter