plural UAVs
: rpv
UAVs, as the Pentagon calls them, are operated not unlike the hobbyist's remote-controlled airplanes; soldiers on the ground man computer stations with controls that fly the aircraft.Daniel G. Dupont

Examples of UAV in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Take-off, landing, and up to 30 minutes of the UAV's flight can be on electric power alone. Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 13 Nov. 2023 Her Master’s thesis was ‘UAV anti-stealth technology for safe operation’. IEEE Spectrum, 10 Nov. 2023 Ukraine’s use of a quadcopter UAV—a class of drone known for its short range—indicates that the attacks almost certainly originated from agents in Russia positioned a relatively short distance from the airbase. Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 24 Aug. 2023 Video circulating online showing one UAV slamming into a skyscraper housing government offices, which was then hit again just two days later. ABC News, 6 Aug. 2023 The flexibility of the UAV can be controlled during the additive manufacturing process by adjusting the infill rate ρTPU distribution. Evan Ackerman, IEEE Spectrum, 2 June 2023 The Defense Department said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps crashed a UAV into a building near Hasakah in northeast Syria at approximately 1:38 p.m. local time, leaving one U.S. contractor dead. Lawrence Richard, Fox News, 24 Mar. 2023 Abstract: This letter presents the first design of a soft and lightweight UAV, entirely 3D-printed in flexible filament. Evan Ackerman, IEEE Spectrum, 2 June 2023 The Raider can use a broad mix of stand-off and direct-attack munitions, including some that have yet to be invented. Pivot to UAV With its turn away from the Raider, Australia is placing a bet on a future without pilots. Sascha Brodsky, Popular Mechanics, 25 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'UAV.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

unmanned aerial vehicle

First Known Use

1986, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of UAV was in 1986

Dictionary Entries Near UAV

Cite this Entry

“UAV.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/UAV. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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