wingman

or wing man

[ wing-man ]

/ ˈwɪŋˌmæn /

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noun

Air Force. a pilot in a plane that flies just outside and behind the right wing of the leading aircraft in a flight formation, in order to provide protective support.

Slang.

a man who helps, protects, or guides a friend or associate: the CEO’s troubleshooting wingman.
a man who helps a friend with romantic relationships, especially one who helps the friend attract a woman: When I walked into the bar, my wingman was already there, talking to two women.

Sports. winger (def. 1).

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Origin of wingman

First recorded in 1940–45; wing + man

Words nearby wingman

wing it, wingless, winglet, winglike, wing loading, wingman, wing nut, wingover, wings, wing shooting, wing shot

How to use wingman in a sentence

Because Donald was doubled on a whopping 64 percent of his pass-rush snaps, his wingmen on the edge each got to rush one-on-one about nine pass rushes out of 10 — and Donald got through the line more often than anyone but Parsons anyway.
Can The Bengals Slow Down Aaron Donald? Nothing’s Stopped Him Yet.|Ty Schalter|February 9, 2022|FiveThirtyEight
AI algorithms are helping route aircraft in more efficient ways, virtual enemies are training pilots mid-flight, and autonomous wingmen are scouting the skies ahead.
The most high-flying aerospace innovations of 2021|Charlie Wood and Rob Verger|December 2, 2021|Popular-Science
My friends back home will play the wingman game and he doesn't.
DJ Pauly D Sounds Off|Marlow Stern|March 23, 2011|DAILY BEAST
So is that why you retired Situation as your wingman and recruited Vinny?
DJ Pauly D Sounds Off|Marlow Stern|March 23, 2011|DAILY BEAST

Can the man called Michael Steele's "wingman" help lift the fundraising body out of its mess?
Reince Priebus Ousts Michael Steele as RNC Chairman|Samuel P. Jacobs, Shushannah Walshe|January 14, 2011|DAILY BEAST
He was my wingman, we were both shot down on the same mission and were together in prison camp.
The Biography of a Rabbit|Roy Benson
When you were flying, your wingman was supposed to protect you from an attack from behind.
The Biography of a Rabbit|Roy Benson
Our flight was usually Tilsen leading with his wingman and I with my wingman.
The Biography of a Rabbit|Roy Benson
Bruce and I had recuperated from the night before and he was flying as my wingman.
The Biography of a Rabbit|Roy Benson
Roger threw a perfect block on his opposing wingman and the two boys went down in a heap.
The Space Pioneers|Carey Rockwell

British Dictionary definitions for wingman

wingman

/ (ˈwɪŋmæn) /

noun plural -men

a player in the wing position in Australian Rules

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