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

See Examples For:

medevac medevacked

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

But the Department of Homeland Security said Alanís was not among those being pursued, and that federal agents quickly called in a medevac in hope of saving him.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 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

“Well,” he wrote of the cost of the medevac, “it could be worse. Getting him on the plane is the only way to save his life, so I’m for it.”

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

Early Friday, a rescue helicopter and two mountaineering rangers were able to rescue the injured climber, who was later medevacked for additional care.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 27, 2024

"We were told there was a child being medevacked to Tampa General, but he was not expected to live," Blair said in a video shared by the sheriff’s office.

From Fox News ● Jul. 28, 2021

“There was a Department of Defense official from the U.S. Embassy in Russia that had to be medevacked from the U.S. Embassy out of Russia,” said Carla Gleason, a Pentagon spokeswoman.

From New York Times ● Nov. 2, 2019

I have sometimes felt wobbly after an interview, but not until my hour with Jackson had I felt the need to be medevacked to safety.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 25, 2019

“But in a couple days, I had convulsions and collapsed. After this, they medevacked me to hospitals in Saudi Arabia and Germany, and then to the U.S.”

From Newsweek ● Mar. 27, 2015