gunship

American

[guhn-ship] / ˈgʌnˌʃɪp /

noun

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

Etymology

Origin of gunship

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

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

gunship

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

From BBC ● Mar. 31, 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

The gunship, an AC 130, spotted them from the air, she said.

From New York Times ● Nov. 21, 2023

Mando previously flew a Razor Crest class gunship.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 26, 2022

A squadron of Sixers marched down the loading ramp of a gunship parked nearby.

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023