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• bombardier
  bombardier

  noun

  the member of a bombing plane crew who operates the bombsight and bomb-release mechanism.
• Bombardier
  Bombardier

  a snowmobilelike vehicle driven by an internal-combustion engine, equipped with caterpillar tracks at the rear, steered by skis at the front, and designed for travel over snow.

bombardier

¹ American  

[bom-ber-deer, -buh-] / ˌbɒm bərˈdɪər, -bə- /

noun

1. Military. the member of a bombing plane crew who operates the bombsight and bomb-release mechanism.

2. History/Historical. artilleryman.

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Bombardier ² American  

[bom-ber-deer, -buh-, bom-bahr-dyey] / ˌbɒm bərˈdɪər, -bə-, ˌbɒm bɑrˈdjeɪ /

Trademark, Canadian.

1. a snowmobilelike vehicle driven by an internal-combustion engine, equipped with caterpillar tracks at the rear, steered by skis at the front, and designed for travel over snow.

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bombardier ¹ British  

/ ˌbɒmbəˈdɪə /

noun

1. the member of a bomber aircrew responsible for aiming and releasing the bombs

2. a noncommissioned rank below the rank of sergeant in the Royal Artillery

3. Also called: bombardier beetle.  any of various small carabid beetles of the genus Brachinus , esp B. crepitans of Europe, which defend themselves by ejecting a jet of volatile fluid

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Bombardier ² British  

/ ˌbɒmbəˈdɪə /

noun

1. a snow tractor, typically having caterpillar tracks at the rear and skis at the front

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Etymology

Origin of bombardier¹

From Middle French, dating back to 1550–60; see origin at bombard, -ier ²

Origin of Bombardier²

First recorded in 1945–50; after Canadian inventor and industrialist Armand Bombardier (died 1964), who designed it

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bombardier Bombardier

Dana Andrews is a decorated bombardier who returns to the same soda fountain job he held before the war, discovering that military heroism doesn’t necessarily translate into peacetime opportunity.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026

Mr Cattini landed on Gold Beach on D-Day as a bombardier in the 86th Field Regiment of the Hertfordshire Yeomanry.

From BBC ● May 19, 2023

His bombardier and first real friend in the service, Danny Shapiro, was later shot down on another plane and held as a prisoner of war for a year.

From New York Times ● Dec. 17, 2021

However, 1945 was the last time he flew bombardier for the U.S.

From Fox News ● Sep. 16, 2021

“The bombardier, the bombardier,” Dobbs answered in a cry when Yossarian spoke.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

Bombardier also grew its backlog, which at the end of the quarter stood at $21.8 billion, a $4.3-billion increase from the end of 2025, thanks to both civil and defense customers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

Lance Bombardier Ciara Sullivan should been riding this year in Trooping the Colour.

From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026

European brokers and aircraft-management firms often acquire Bombardier and Gulfstream jets by purchasing them secondhand from other companies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026

The company’s website states that the Garden Grove facility manufactures F-35 canopies, as well as transparent windows for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 737, the Airbus A350, HondaJet and Bombardier C-Series.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026

There was no time to hang about the tobacconist's shop in Bombardier Lane, waiting furtively for a chance of seeing Mariquita alone.

From The Thin Red Line; and Blue Blood by Arthur Griffiths