gunship

noun

gun·​ship ˈgən-ˌship How to pronounce gunship (audio)
: a helicopter or cargo aircraft armed with rockets and machine guns

Examples of gunship in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Warren flew a Huey attack helicopter, or gunship, with the call sign Mustang 53. Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 13 Aug. 2025 The Americans call in air support from an AC-130 gunship, whose 105-millimeter cannon does its relentless work. Book Marks august 7, Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025 At the same time, Qatari AH-64E Apache helicopter gunships also conducted patrols, forming another defensive layer against any incoming or low-flying drone that managed to bypass the Strike Eagles. Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 27 July 2025 Sometime on or just before Monday, a quartet of Russian helicopters—two Mil Mi-8 transport and two Kamov Ka-52 gunships—landed somewhere in Belgorod Oblast in western Ukraine. David Axe, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gunship

Word History

First Known Use

1966, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gunship was in 1966

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gunship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gunship. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

gunship

noun
gun·​ship -ˌship How to pronounce gunship (audio)
: an aircraft armed with rockets and machine guns for protection of ground troops or helicopters carrying them

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