humvee

IPA/ˈhʌm.viː/
KK[hˈʌmvˌi]IPA/ˈhʌm.viː/

humvee — noun

  • humveesingular
  • humveesplural

1. a type of large, sturdy four-wheel-drive vehicle that was first made for the US

1.nounB1
Definition

a type of large, sturdy four-wheel-drive vehicle that was first made for the US army to carry troops and supplies over rough land, and is now also used by civilians

Example

A convoy of three humvees drove slowly along the dusty road toward the army base.

countable noun phrase: a convoy of three humvees

Marta climbed into the humvee and checked that her rifle was securely strapped in.

Common collocations
  • drive a humvee
  • a humvee patrol
  • a convoy of humvees
  • climb into a humvee
  • get out of a humvee
Synonyms
  • jeep

    a smaller, lighter military vehicle that was used before the humvee; 'jeep' is also a brand name used generically

  • off-road vehicle

    a more general term for any vehicle designed for rough terrain, not just military ones

  • military truck

    a broader category; humvees are a specific type of military truck

Grammar Patterns

humvee + verb (singular)

humvees + verb (plural)

Usage Note

Though 'Humvee' is a trademark, the word is commonly written in lower case and used as a general term for any large military off-road vehicle.

Common Mistakes

The soldiers drove a Hummer across the desert.
The soldiers drove a humvee across the desert.
'Hummer' is the brand name for the civilian vehicle made by GM; 'humvee' refers to the original military truck or any similar military off-road vehicle.

Word family

  • HMMWV
    noun (acronym)C1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe vehicles that can travel on rough ground, but they differ in size, purpose, and brand status. A 'jeep' is smaller and lighter than a humvee, and was originally the main light military vehicle before the humvee replaced it in the 1980s — today 'jeep' is a brand that also sells civilian sport-utility vehicles. 'Hummer' (often capitalised) refers to the civilian off-road vehicle produced by General Motors that was based on the humvee design, so it is a road-legal consumer vehicle rather than a military truck. 'Off-road vehicle' is the broadest term and covers any vehicle (car, truck, ATV) built for unpaved surfaces, including both jeeps and humvees but also many other types. 'Military truck' is also broad, describing any transport vehicle used by armed forces — a humvee is one specific kind of military truck, distinguishable by its relatively compact size, four-wheel drive, and trademark boxy shape. For example: 'The army replaced its old jeeps with humvees in the 1980s,' but 'He bought a Hummer for driving on mountain trails,' and 'An off-road vehicle is useful if you live on a farm.'

jeep ↗Hummer ↗off-road vehiclemilitary truck

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • a line of humvees
  • a humvee convoy
  • military humvees

Prepositions

  • in a humvee
  • into a humvee
  • out of a humvee

Etymology

English (US military acronym HMMWV)English

The word 'humvee' comes from the US military acronym HMMWV, which stands for High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle. The vehicle was designed in the 1970s and first used by the American army in the 1980s as a replacement for the smaller jeep. During the Gulf War (1990–1991), news broadcasts showed the vehicle so often that the nickname 'Humvee' entered everyday English. The spoken form 'Humvee' is a natural shortening of the acronym that was easier to say than the full letter set.