medevac

American  

[med-uh-vak] / ˈmɛd əˌvæk /

Or Medevac,

noun

1. a helicopter for evacuating the wounded from a battlefield.

2. an ambulance or other vehicle equipped for emergency transport of medical patients.

3. any of the trained personnel transporting or otherwise tending to the sick or wounded in a medevac.

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verb (used with object)

medevacked, medevacking

1. to transport (sick or wounded persons) by medevac.

medevac British  

/ ˈmɛdɪˌvæk /

noun

1. military the evacuation of casualties from forward areas to the nearest hospital or base

2. a helicopter used for transporting wounded or sick people to hospital

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verb

1. (tr) to transport (a wounded or sick person) to hospital by medevac

Etymology

Origin of medevac

1965–70, med(ical) evac(uation) ; presumably by ellipsis from medevac helicopter

Example Sentences

The cost of a medevac helicopter was in the tens of thousands of dollars.

From Salon • May 27, 2026

I flew down immediately and found a medevac plane to fly her home to Portland.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

The Department of Homeland Security said that García was not among those being pursued and that federal agents called in a medevac for him.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 29, 2025

While they were configured as medevac aircraft, Army officials at Fort Campbell, Kentucky said they weren’t on a medical mission at the time.

From Washington Times • Apr. 4, 2023

In December, two months after John’s medevac flight to Boston, I am back with Farmer in Haiti, as our truck’s headlights bounce over the endless, back-jarring potholes of Highway 3.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French