bombsight: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Technical / Historical
Quick answer
What does “bombsight” mean?
A device in an aircraft for aiming bombs at a target.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A device in an aircraft for aiming bombs at a target.
Historically, a complex mechanical or optical instrument, often involving analog computers, used by bombardiers to calculate the precise moment to release bombs based on altitude, airspeed, and wind conditions.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical difference; the concept and term are identical in both variants.
Connotations
Strongly associated with 20th-century warfare technology, particularly the strategic bombing campaigns of WWII (e.g., the Norden bombsight used by US forces).
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in contemporary general usage. Higher frequency in historical, military, and aviation technical writing. Slightly more common in American texts due to prominent historical narratives around the Norden bombsight.
Grammar
How to Use “bombsight” in a Sentence
[Verb] + bombsight: use/operate/aim with/peered through the bombsight[Adjective] + bombsight: sophisticated/secret/gyroscopic bombsightbombsight + [Prepositional Phrase]: bombsight in the nose/bombsight of the B-17Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in historical, military history, and history of technology papers discussing 20th-century aerial warfare.
Everyday
Extremely rare. Would only appear in discussions of war history, museum exhibits, or documentaries.
Technical
Standard term in historical aviation engineering, military hardware documentation, and aircraft restoration contexts.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “bombsight”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “bombsight”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bombsight”
- Misspelling as 'bomb site' (which refers to a location where a bomb has exploded).
- Using it as a verb (e.g., 'He bombsighted the target' is non-standard). The verb is 'to aim' or 'to sight'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a closed compound, written as one word: bombsight. The two-word phrase 'bomb site' means something completely different.
No. The mechanical bombsight has been completely replaced by integrated digital targeting computers, laser guidance, and GPS systems in modern military aviation.
The Norden bombsight, used by the United States Army Air Forces and US Navy during World War II, is the most well-known due to its reputation (and secrecy) at the time.
No, it is strictly a noun. The related verb would be 'to sight' a target or 'to aim' using the bombsight.
A device in an aircraft for aiming bombs at a target.
Bombsight is usually technical / historical in register.
Bombsight: in British English it is pronounced /ˈbɒmsaɪt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈbɑːmsaɪt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the word 'sight' as in a 'gunsight' – it's a device to help you 'sight' or aim the BOMB. Bomb + Sight = Bombsight.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE EYE OF THE BOMBER (The device is a mechanical extension of the bombardier's vision and judgment).
Practice
Quiz
What is a 'bombsight' primarily used for?