medevac

or Med·e·vac, med·i·vac

[ med-uh-vak ]

noun

1. a helicopter for evacuating the wounded from a battlefield.
2. an ambulance or other vehicle equipped for emergency transport of medical patients.
3. any of the trained personnel transporting or otherwise tending to the sick or wounded in a medevac.

verb (used with object)

, med·e·vacked, med·e·vack·ing.

1. to transport (sick or wounded persons) by medevac.

medevac

/ ˈmɛdɪˌvæk /

noun

1. military the evacuation of casualties from forward areas to the nearest hospital or base
2. a helicopter used for transporting wounded or sick people to hospital

verb

1. tr to transport (a wounded or sick person) to hospital by medevac

Word History and Origins

Origin of medevac¹

1965–70, Americanism; med(ical) evac(uation) ; presumably by ellipsis from medevac helicopter

Word History and Origins

Origin of medevac¹

C20: from med ( ical ) evac ( uation )

Example Sentences

Who can forget Lindsey Vonn dangling from a Medevac helicopter after her 2013 season-ending crash?

From The Daily Beast

Within minutes the medevac helicopter flew him to the nearby surgical center at Forward Operating Base Solerno.

From The Daily Beast

My team would have dragged me out and guarded my body until the medevac arrived to carry me to the morgue.

From The Daily Beast

Maj. Mary Hegar flew Medevac missions to rescue wounded soldiers.

From The Daily Beast

He has deployed to Iraq twice and completed a tour in Afghanistan as a Medevac pilot-in-command and air mission commander.

From The Daily Beast