Airman

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɛə.mən/

Definitions

1. An individual qualified to fly or operate aircraft, a member of the military focused on aviation roles, and a professional working in the aerospace industry with technical skills
2. A trained operator of aircraft who may serve in the armed forces, a participant in aviation-related activities, or a specialist in the technical maintenance of flying vehicles
3. A person serving in an armed force who flies military aircraft ; an individual licensed to fly planes in non-military settings

Etymology: The word is a plain compound: "air" joined to "man," with nothing more elaborate behind it. "Air" traces back through Latin "āēr" and Greek "āḗr," ultimately to an ancient Indo-European root meaning something like "to blow" or "to be moving air," while "man" comes from a Germanic word for a human being, shared with Old English "mann." English settled on "airman" by combining these two old elements, and the second half has its own history: Middle English "-man" was a common suffix for people associated with a particular activity or place. Because the word is built from familiar parts, its meaning follows directly from them. An airman is simply a man of the air, someone whose work or service takes place in the sky. Over time the term has been applied to anyone who flies or operates aircraft, and it came to name a member of the military whose role centred on aviation.

Synonyms: pilot, aviator

Antonyms: ground crew