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Glite Dictionary
🥊 A person who fights ✈️ A warplane
fighter

fighter

359 4.6
A fast military plane that attacks enemy planes in the air
  • noun
  • /ˈfaɪtər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : caza
  • The Navy's single most expensive program is the upgrade of F-18 fighter jets for carriers.
  • fighter jet
  • fighter plane
  • fighter aircraft

We have military people, Navy, fighter jets, testify in Congress.

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Examples

  • The stealthy fighter jet soared through the sky, ready for combat.

  • We were looking out, and we see this fighter plane, beautiful, coming right at us.

    Rescue Dawn (2007)

  • This plane is the newest French fighter.

    Flyboys (2006)

  • You can prove that America has the newest model fighter jet, right?

    Julian Dorey

  • Saudi Arabia refused to allow the United States to use its fighter planes based there.

    Academic text (1999)

  • Luke looks up in terror at the fighter zooming in at him, firing away.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • Yesterday, a Russian fighter jet collided with AUS drone.

  • Late on this particular afternoon, two F-23 Wildcat fighters were patrolling the Powder River MOA.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • During the airshow, spectators marveled at the agility of the fighter planes as they performed daring maneuvers.

  • The military announced the deployment of advanced fighter jets to enhance national security.

Synonyms

interceptor
vsfighter
  • Specialized
15 8.4

A fast fighter plane that catches and destroys enemy bombers

is broader, meaning any high-speed air combat aircraft rather than bomber specialist
stealth fighter
vsfighter
  • Specialized
8 7.4

A military plane that avoids radar and carries weapons

is focused on general air to air combat rather than stealth or special targeting
fighter aircraft
vsfighter
  • Specialized
4 4.4

A fast military airplane that attacks enemy planes

is identical in meaning but uses a single-word label

Idioms

to choose your fighter
  • Informal
7.9

To pick a person or character to represent you in a game

Compounds

freedom fighter
30 3.7

A person who uses weapons against a government to gain independence or basic rights

fighter pilot
  • Specialized
29 4.0

A person who flies military combat planes

stealth fighter
  • Specialized
8 7.4

A military plane that avoids radar and carries weapons

fighter aircraft
  • Specialized
4 4.4

A fast military airplane that attacks enemy planes

street fighter
1 6.2

A person who fights well in street fights without formal training

deadline fighter
  • Informal
5.5

A person who works best under pressure to meet tight deadlines

forest fire fighter
2.9

A person who fights fires in forests to protect trees and land

street fighter
6.8

A person who uses aggressive, unfair methods to win in business or politics

How Capable

stealth fighter
  • Specialized
8 7.4
fighter
  • Specialized
359 4.6

Surface Forms

fighter singular
fighters plural

Morphology

fighter = fight (semi-transparent) = fight + er

Formed as 'fight' + '-er' (one that fights) but the sense 'military aircraft' is a semantic extension from the agent noun to a machine, which is predictable but requires world knowledge.

Etymology

The word fighter when used for a military plane follows the same idea: it is a fast plane that 'fights' enemy aircraft, so a fighter plane is literally 'one that fights' in the air.