: 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
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
Despite the innovations in technology and design, hypersonic applications for commercial aircraft are in their infancy, with both engines and airframes remaining years away from implementation in that category.
—Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 22 Mar. 2025
The two argued that advances in composite airframe construction would allow lighter supersonic aircraft that would generate less of a boom than the pioneering Concorde airliner, recommending that the FAA rewrite those rules to restrict sound, not speed.
—Rob Pegoraro, PCMAG, 10 Feb. 2025
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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
Despite the innovations in technology and design, hypersonic applications for commercial aircraft are in their infancy, with both engines and airframes remaining years away from implementation in that category.
—Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 22 Mar. 2025
The two argued that advances in composite airframe construction would allow lighter supersonic aircraft that would generate less of a boom than the pioneering Concorde airliner, recommending that the FAA rewrite those rules to restrict sound, not speed.
—Rob Pegoraro, PCMAG, 10 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 6 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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