Meaning & use
anti-aircraft
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Designed to shoot at or defend against enemy aircraft.
Grammar: Comes before the noun it describes, as in anti-aircraft gun, and is not used after a verb.
Patterns
- anti-aircraft + noun
The ship was equipped with anti-aircraft guns.
Anti-aircraft fire lit up the night sky.
They set up an anti-aircraft battery on the hill.
noununcountable
Weapons or defenses used against enemy aircraft.
Grammar: Used without an or an and without a plural form; often preceded by the.
Patterns
- the anti-aircraft
The anti-aircraft was unable to stop the bombers.
They strengthened the anti-aircraft around the capital.
Common combinations
- anti-aircraft gun
- The soldiers manned the anti-aircraft gun.
- anti-aircraft fire
- The plane flew through heavy anti-aircraft fire.
- anti-aircraft missile
- They launched an anti-aircraft missile at the incoming jet.
- anti-aircraft battery
- An anti-aircraft battery protected the harbor.
Synonyms and how they differ
- air-defense
- A broader term that includes all measures against air attack, not just guns.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'anti-aircraft' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Anti-aircraft' as a noun refers to weapons against aircraft, so 'used anti-aircraft to defend against the bombers' is correct. Option 0 is wrong because tanks are not aircraft; option 2 is wrong because a gun aimed at ground troops is not anti-aircraft; option 3 is wrong because 'anti-aircraft' is not a verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “anti-aircraft”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.