broken arrow
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.06 in modern English
20
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Any of a series of accidental nuclear events in the Cold War, involving nuclear weapons or warheads fallen from aircrafts, which could have triggered a nuclear war.
American usage
noun
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see broken, arrow.
noun
An accidental event that involves nuclear weapons or nuclear components but does not create the risk of nuclear war.
American usage
phrase
A code phrase indicating that a ground unit is facing imminent destruction from enemy attack and all available air forces within range are to provide air support immediately.
American usage
name
A city in Tulsa County and Wagoner County, Oklahoma, United States.
Example Sentences
- "A broken arrow A - - -> B indicates that an occasional result of Section A is used in Section B, but that Section B is essentially independent of Section A."
- "Longitudinal scan of focal thickening and disruption of the median nerve (broken arrow), at the level volar to the distal radius, in keeping with scarring from prior trauma. (F) Sagittal proton density MR image of nonspecific thickening of the 2. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 3. 4. median nerve (broken arrow), with a similar configuration."
- "Note that the uptake of pertechnetate (i.e., darkness) is comparable between the two thyroid lobes (solid arrow) and the salivary glands (broken arrow)."
- "In the US, the code name for a serious nuclear weapons incident is "Broken Arrow". It is US policy neither to confirm nor deny the existence of nuclear weapons at any specific location; this also applies to Broken Arrow incidents."
- "The FAC urgently sends over his radio a cry for help: "Broken Arrow! Broken Arrow!' His message unleashes all available close air support in South Vietnam on a priority basis."
- "Before Caras could respond, the General threw down the mike, turned to his second and said, "Get them all the air support we have, everything. This is Broken Arrow""
Usage
- American usage