Broken Arrow

1

or bro·ken ar·row

[ broh-kuhn ar-oh ]

nounU.S. Military.
    • a nuclear weapon that has been removed from the arsenal by theft, loss, accidental launch or detonation, etc., but has not resulted in harm.

    • the theft, accidental launch, or other event that causes such a weapon to be removed from the arsenal.

  1. a code phrase summoning all military aircraft in the area to the immediate support of ground forces about to be overwhelmed.

Origin of Broken Arrow

1
First recorded in 1960–65

Other definitions for Broken Arrow (2 of 2)

Broken Arrow2
[ broh-kuhn ar-oh ]

noun
  1. a town in northeastern Oklahoma.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Broken Arrow in a sentence