sonobuoy

noun

so·​no·​buoy ˈsä-nə-ˌbȯi How to pronounce sonobuoy (audio)
-ˌbü-ē
: a buoy equipped for detecting underwater sounds and transmitting them by radio

Examples of sonobuoy in a Sentence

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The study used sonobuoy listening devices in the Southern Ocean to record whale sounds between 2006 and 2021. — Cameron Pugh, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 July 2024 In order to better understand their current populations, researchers deployed sonobuoys off the coasts of Antarctica between 2006 and 2021. — Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 6 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sonobuoy was in 1937

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“Sonobuoy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sonobuoy. Accessed 11 Mar. 2025.

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