Abrams tank

noun

ˈā-brəmz- 

variants or less commonly Abrams

: a heavily armored military tank produced in the United States

After the Iraqi soldiers came under attack, American forces in Abrams tanks, … rumbled to the scene.

—Erica Goode and Michael R. Gordon, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2008

One Abrams was hit twice, but its internal compartmentation and fire suppression systems enabled all of the crew members to survive.

—Faris R. Kirkland, The Gulf War And Mental Health, 1996

Word History

Etymology

after Creighton Abrams †1974 American commander of armored troops and U.S. Army chief of staff

First Known Use

1976, in the meaning defined above

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