army tank
- noun
- /ˈɑrmi tæŋk/
- Specialized
- Trumball was driving the rover with single-minded concentration through a field of rocks big enough to stop army tanks, steering between the minivan-sized boulders while his geologist's mind begged to go outside and see what they were made of.
- Syrian army tank
- army tank moved
Examples
-
He ridiculed Dukakis' well-known ride in an army tank.
Academic text (1998) -
From that point on, Garcia's behavior became more and more erratic and confrontational: breaking down bank doors with army tanks, announcing a "war economy," attacking the "bad capitalists," and alienating those sectors whose support had been critical to his success: the private sector and the middle class.
Academic text (1990) -
You could pull an army tank out from behind there...
-
His impatient, autocratic style frequently led him to step well beyond constitutional norms, such as sending army tanks to break down bank doors.
Academic text (1990) -
Honestly, if my services are required to break up a scuffle among the troops, attend to the wounded, and court-martial the perpetrator, how in the world can I be expected to know where the keys to the army tank are?
Blog text (24) -
As the reinforcements arrived, rebels engaged them on the road to the base, destroying at least one Syrian army tank before the rebels were driven back by repeated attacks from a pair of Syrian air force jets and a helicopter.
Blog text (22) -
The fighting was the bloodiest and most merciless episode of city combat in Lebanon's history; civilians cowered in their homes while army tanks and artillery blazed away, and militia forces returned the fire with equal intensity.
Academic text (1991) -
The army tank rolled into the battlefield, ready to support the troops.
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Dozens of army tanks were deployed through central Belgrade to maintain order.
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In Dara'a, army tanks were used for the first time in this uprising against protesters.
Synonyms
A heavily armored vehicle with a large gun that moves on tracks
A large American battle vehicle used by the army with thick armor and a powerful gun
A large armored vehicle used in war, like an early tank
A heavy military machine like a tank with heavy metal plates, tracks, and a large gun for fighting
How Armored
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'army' (military land forces) + 'tank' (armored vehicle) yields a tank associated with or used by the army. This straightforward noun‑noun ownership/type combination is cross‑linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand it.
Etymology
Army tank got its name in World War I when builders secretly called the new armored fighting vehicles 'water tanks' to hide their purpose, and the short word tank stayed. So army tank now means a heavy, enclosed military vehicle with armor and a large gun.