medivac

[med-uh-vak]

noun, verb (used with object), med·i·vacked, med·i·vack·ing.

medevac.

medevac

or Med·e·vac, med·i·vac

[med-uh-vak]

noun

a helicopter for evacuating the wounded from a battlefield.

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

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

verb (used with object), med·e·vacked, med·e·vack·ing.

to transport (sick or wounded persons) by medevac.

Origin of medevac

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for medivac

medivac

noun, verb

-vacs, -vacking or -vacked a variant spelling of medevac

medevac

noun

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

a helicopter used for transporting wounded or sick people to hospital

verb -vacs, -vacking or -vacked

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

Word Origin for medevac

C20: from med (ical) evac (uation)

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

Word Origin and History for medivac

medevac

1966, U.S. military, formed from elements of medical evacuation.

medivac in Medicine

medevac

[mĕd′ĭ-văk′]

n.

Air transport of persons to a place where they can receive medical or surgical care; medical evacuation.

A helicopter or other aircraft used for such transport.

v.

To transport a patient to a place where medical care is available.