hunter-killer

American

[huhn-ter-kil-er] / ˈhʌn tərˈkɪl ər /

adjective

of or relating to a combined naval air and fleet force operating to seek out and destroy enemy submarines.

hunter-killer British

adjective

denoting a type of naval vessel, esp a submarine, designed and equipped to pursue and destroy enemy craft

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

America’s anti-submarine forces, known as hunter-killer groups, used planes, helicopters, warships, and nuclear-powered subs to track down enemy boats.

From Literature

As Kennedy’s team met in Washington, the commander of the Soviet submarine B-59 was 1,000 feet below the surface of the sea, penned in by a U.S. hunter-killer group.

From Literature

But the battlefield has changed substantially since then, notably by the ubiquitous use of Russian surveillance drones and hunter-killer drones.

From Seattle Times

The hunter-killer vessel is is now at His Majesty's Naval Base in Clyde, Scotland.

From BBC

Singapore-based security scholar Collin Koh said there was a great deal of interest in the prospect of a new class of Chinese Type 093 "hunter-killer" submarine with vertical launch tubes for guided missiles.

From Reuters

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