gunship

[guhn-ship]

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.

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Origin of gunship

First recorded in 1965–70; gun¹ + ship¹

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

Examples from the Web for gunship

Contemporary Examples

Back there I could fly a gunship, I could drive a tank, I was in charge of million-dollar equipment.
A Job to Kill For? Unemployed Spurn Detroit Veteran Hiring Fair
Colby Buzzell
June 25, 2012

Historical Examples

The seventy-four gunship, Gabriel Conroy, was clearing the decks for action.
Gabriel Conroy
Bert Harte