air commander

noun

: a military officer in charge of combat flight operations

Standing orders dictated that no air commander could send out a two-group combat wing; the risk of total annihilation of such a small defensive force was too great.

—Martin W. Bowman, Castles in the Air, 2000

Word History

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined above

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!