Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

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.


Etymology

Origin of gunship

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

The government spent $14 million salvaging the sunken remains of the ironclad Confederate gunship CSS Georgia, which had been scuttled in the river during the Civil War.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 25, 2022

Mando previously flew a Razor Crest class gunship.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 26, 2022

Bill flew 118 missions over Vietnam and Laos as the command pilot of an AC-130A Spectre gunship.

From Washington Post • Jul. 30, 2018

I continued to scan the sky and quickly spotted two more Sixer gunship squadrons off near the eastern horizon.

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

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "gunship" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com