Warplane

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A military aircraft engineered for offensive operations, capable of engaging targets on the ground or in the air
2. An aerial vehicle crafted for combat purposes, primarily used in military conflicts to strike at opposing forces
3. A type of aircraft designed specifically for engaging in combat operations, serving both in air-to-air and air-to-ground roles in warfare

Etymology: "Warplane" is a plain compound: "war" joined to "plane," the shortened form of "aeroplane." Its history is therefore the history of its two parts, and the most useful thing to know is that "plane" was itself once a clipped, and then contested, word. "Aeroplane" was the older form, and "plane" was trimmed from it, so the compound pairs a word for armed conflict with a clipped name for the flying machine. The combination describes exactly what it sounds like: an aircraft built or used for fighting, as opposed to one carrying passengers or mail. Early powered aircraft were quickly pressed into military service in the First World War, which is when the idea of a flying machine dedicated to combat became central to military thinking, and the compound fits that period of rapid aviation development.

Synonyms: fighter, bomber, military aircraft, jet, drone

Antonyms: civilian aircraft