Definition

Either a military aircraft designed to drop explosive payloads or a person who plants bombs, both equally unwelcome at parties. The aircraft version represents massive engineering achievement dedicated to destruction; the person version represents someone who's made very poor life choices. Also a style of jacket, which is considerably less threatening.

Example Usage

The B-52 bomber has been in service since the 1950s and somehow still looks intimidating.

Source: Military terminology

Related Terms

Intermediate

FOB

Forward Operating Base — a secured military position used to support tactical operations. Think of it as a really terrible campground with excellent security and zero amenities. The Airbnb listing would have one star and a warning label.

🎖️ Military / Defense
Advanced

OODA Loop

Decision-making cycle standing for Observe, Orient, Decide, Act—the faster you complete this loop than your enemy, the more you win. Fighter pilot Colonel John Boyd's gift to military strategists who needed a fancy acronym to describe "think fast and do stuff."

🎖️ Military / Defense
Beginner

pha

Periodic Health Assessment—a mandatory annual health screening for service members. A bureaucratic checkbox that occasionally catches real medical issues but mostly confirms you're still breathing.

🎖️ Military / Defense
Intermediate

Ranging Shot

A preliminary artillery round fired to determine accuracy and adjust aim before firing for effect. The test shot that tells you whether your calculations work or if you're about to embarrass yourself by missing an entire grid square.

🎖️ Military / Defense
Beginner

Extraction Point

A designated location where personnel or equipment are retrieved, typically by helicopter or vehicle, after completing a mission. The planned exit strategy that hopefully involves less gunfire than the entrance.

🎖️ Military / Defense
Beginner

skyline

The act of exposing your silhouette against the horizon, making yourself an obvious target. A fundamental tactical error taught on day one but somehow still happens.

🎖️ Military / Defense

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See “bomber” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.

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