bombardier

noun

bom·​bar·​dier ˌbäm-bə-ˈdir 

-bər-

1

a

archaic : artilleryman

b

: a noncommissioned officer in the British artillery

2

: a bomber-crew member who releases the bombs

Examples of bombardier in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The hole was caused by a... American bombardier Lieutenant Louis Zamperini examines damage in the fuselage of his B-24 Liberator on Funafuti, Ellice Island (later known as Tuvalu), in May 1943 during World War II. —Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 July 2025

Three crew members — the bombardier, navigator and gunner — parachuted to safety and wound up in a German prisoner of war camp. —Hank Beckman, Chicago Tribune, 3 June 2025

Kelly, the bombardier, was expected to be buried in Livermore, Calif., on Monday, May 26. —David Chiu, People.com, 26 May 2025

Additionally, the remains of bombardier Lt. Tom Kelly were identified and soon will be handed over to his family. —Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French, "one in charge of a bombard," from bombarde bombard entry 1 + -ier -eer

First Known Use

1562, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for bombardier

• auctioneer
• bandelier
• belvedere
• brigadier
• buccaneer
• cavalier
• chandelier
• chanticleer
• chevalier
• commandeer
• disappear
• engineer

Kids Definition

bombardier

noun

bom·​bar·​dier ˌbäm-bə(r)-ˈdi(ə)r 

: a bomber-crew member who releases the bombs