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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Mi-24 helicopter gunships are also used for this role, shooting down the drones with the 23mm cannon. David Hambling, Forbes, 12 Sep. 2024 At that point Cobra helicopter gunships would roll in with the appropriate fire power to neutralize the enemy threat. Kevin Dayhoff, Baltimore Sun, 27 July 2024 In this photo taken from video released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Friday, April 12, 2024, a Ka-52 helicopter gunship of the Russian air force fires rockets at a target at an unknown location in Ukraine. CBS News, 10 July 2024 But Layton says the gunships could be helpful supporting allied troops who might be trying to round up North Korean special forces units that had managed to infiltrate deeper into southern territory. Brad Lendon, CNN, 9 July 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near gunship

Cite this Entry

“Gunship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gunship. Accessed 9 Nov. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on gunship

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