: the structure of an aircraft, rocket vehicle, or missile without the power plant
also
: aircraft
Examples of airframe in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Based on a commercial Boeing 737 airframe, the twin-engine Navy jets, named Poseidon, are used for anti-submarine warfare as well as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
—
Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 2 Mar. 2026
The stranger told him about airframe and power plant mechanic school.
—Wilborn P. Nobles Iii, Dallas Morning News, 27 Feb. 2026
All this must come at a flyaway cost target of €35 million (US$) or less per airframe, with operating costs between €5,000 and €10,000 (US$5,900 and US$11,800) per flight hour.
—David Szondy
february 24, New Atlas, 24 Feb. 2026
And there was a program, over many years, to make a major Canadian commitment to American airframes for defense of the skies over Canada and the Arctic.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for airframe
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Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 2 Mar. 2026
The stranger told him about airframe and power plant mechanic school.
—Wilborn P. Nobles Iii, Dallas Morning News, 27 Feb. 2026
All this must come at a flyaway cost target of €35 million (US$) or less per airframe, with operating costs between €5,000 and €10,000 (US$5,900 and US$11,800) per flight hour.
—David Szondy
february 24, New Atlas, 24 Feb. 2026
And there was a program, over many years, to make a major Canadian commitment to American airframes for defense of the skies over Canada and the Arctic.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for airframe
Cite this Entry
“Airframe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/airframe. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
airframe
noun
air·frame
ˈa(ə)r-ˌfrām 
ˈe(ə)r-
: the structure of an aircraft, rocket vehicle, or missile without the engine and related parts
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