wingman

or wing man

[ wing-man ]

noun
  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  1. Sports. winger (def. 1).

Origin of wingman

1
First recorded in 1940–45; wing + man

Words Nearby wingman

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use wingman in a sentence

  • He was my wingman, we were both shot down on the same mission and were together in prison camp.

  • When you were flying, your wingman was supposed to protect you from an attack from behind.

  • Our flight was usually Tilsen leading with his wingman and I with my wingman.

  • Bruce and I had recuperated from the night before and he was flying as my wingman.

  • 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) /


nounplural -men
  1. 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