awacs
|A-wacs|
/ˈeɪwæks/
airborne radar control platform
Etymology
'awacs' originates from English, specifically the phrase 'Airborne Warning and Control System', where the initials 'A', 'W', 'A', 'C', 'S' stand for 'Airborne', 'Warning', 'And', 'Control', 'System'.
'awacs' developed from the military acronym 'AWACS' (formed from the initial letters of the phrase) and came to be used as a common noun referring both to the radar system and to the aircraft that carries it.
Initially it referred specifically to the technical system (the radar+control capability); over time it also came to mean the aircraft/platform and the mission role performing airborne early warning and control.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
abbreviation/acronym for 'Airborne Warning and Control System'; an airborne radar and command-and-control system (or the aircraft carrying it) used to detect, track, and direct forces against aircraft, missiles, ships, and other targets.
The awacs detected multiple incoming targets and relayed their positions to the fighters.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/03 22:16