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 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

Experts said that was probably the first such use of a helicopter gunship in the occupied West Bank since the second Palestinian uprising about 20 years ago.

From New York Times • Jun. 19, 2023

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

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

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