General
ack-ack
What does ack-ack mean?
Anti-aircraft fire — the flak thrown up at enemy planes — or the guns doing the throwing. The name comes from the old British signaller's phonetic for the letters A.A.
"Lancaster crews dreaded the run over the Ruhr — ack-ack thick enough to walk on."
Origin
British signaller phonetic alphabet pre-1956, where 'ack' stood for the letter A. Embedded by WWII air war reporting.
Frequently asked questions
What does "ack-ack" mean?
It refers to anti-aircraft fire, or the guns that fire it.
How do you use "ack-ack" in a sentence?
"The bombers flew straight into a wall of ack-ack over the harbour."
Where does "ack-ack" come from?
It comes from the old British military signaller's pronunciation of "AA," short for anti-aircraft.
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Vocabulary Flow — saved to your collection.
