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

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

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

Dan Anderson, an instructor pilot for Cal Fire, spent decades in the Army and flew medevac helicopters in Iraq and Afghanistan.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 3, 2024

On the so-called “SAR shift,” for search-and-rescue, Mr. Schwartz stays mobile, driving around the South Rim and taking cellphone calls to dispatch everything from Chex Mix for hikers to medevac helicopters wherever they were needed.

From New York Times • Aug. 1, 2023

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

“They’re taking him over to Lester Krebb’s field, where they’ve got a medevac helicopter coming,” the policeman told me.

From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings