: the structure of an aircraft, rocket vehicle, or missile without the power plant
also
: aircraft
Examples of airframe in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Effectively, Beyond has designed a new 10-seat business jet airframe around a battery-free hydrogen-electric propulsion system.
—
New Atlas, 24 Mar. 2025
Worse, the sudden strain may damage the airframe, and a heavy mount is needed to absorb the forces involved.
—David Hambling, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
Despite reliability concerns and Pentagon efforts to stretch airframe mileage, the U.S. still plans to operate roughly 2,500 jets through the 2080s.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
Concorde’s airframe could expand by up to 25 centimeters during flight due to Mach 2’s extreme temperatures.
—IEEE Spectrum, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for airframe
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New Atlas, 24 Mar. 2025
Worse, the sudden strain may damage the airframe, and a heavy mount is needed to absorb the forces involved.
—David Hambling, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
Despite reliability concerns and Pentagon efforts to stretch airframe mileage, the U.S. still plans to operate roughly 2,500 jets through the 2080s.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
Concorde’s airframe could expand by up to 25 centimeters during flight due to Mach 2’s extreme temperatures.
—IEEE Spectrum, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for airframe
Cite this Entry
“Airframe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/airframe. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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airframe
noun
air·frame
ˈa(ə)r-ˌfrām 
ˈe(ə)r-
: the structure of an aircraft, rocket vehicle, or missile without the engine and related parts
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