antiaircraft
|an-ti-air-craft|
🇺🇸
/ˌæntiˈɛrkræft/
🇬🇧
/ˌæntiˈeəkrɑːft/
against aircraft / for air defence
Etymology
'antiaircraft' originates from English, formed from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against') combined with 'aircraft' ('air' + 'craft').
'antiaircraft' first appeared in the early 20th century (often as the hyphenated form 'anti-aircraft') during the development of military aviation and air defence; 'aircraft' itself comes from 'air' + Old English 'cræft' ('craft').
Initially coined to describe weapons or measures 'against aircraft' in the era of early military aviation; its core meaning of 'against aircraft / for air defence' has remained stable.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
weapons, guns, missiles, or systems intended to defend against or attack enemy aircraft; collective term for such defenses.
The convoy was protected by antiaircraft throughout the voyage.
Synonyms
Noun 2
the firing of guns or other weapons at enemy aircraft (often used in plural as 'antiaircraft').
Several planes were damaged by heavy antiaircraft.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
designed for or used in defending against aircraft (used before a noun, e.g., 'antiaircraft gun').
The base was equipped with antiaircraft defenses.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/27 05:16