gunship

American  

[guhn-ship] / ˈgʌnˌʃɪp /

noun

1. a helicopter or fixed-wing airplane armed with rapid-fire guns or cannons and used to provide close air support for troops in combat.

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Etymology

Origin of gunship

First recorded in 1965–70; gun ¹ + ship ¹

Example Sentences

Another video shows Kid Rock pumping his fist before a second gunship appears to fly by his mansion, which he has dubbed the Southern White House.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

Fortson was assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron at nearby Hurlburt Field as a special missions aviator serving on an AC-130J Ghostrider gunship.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 3, 2024

Mando previously flew a Razor Crest class gunship.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 26, 2022

During the Vietnam War, he was assigned to a gunship and participated in more than 200 missions, most of them at night.

From Washington Post • Aug. 12, 2017

In preparation for this, Daito and Shoto had spent the past few weeks planting microscopic tracking devices on the hulls of every Sixer gunship they could find.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline