Meanings
nounmain battle tank (plural main battle tanks)
plural main battle tanks · alternative MBT
- The primary tank of a country or armed forces.
- governmentA tank with a good balance of firepower, cross-country mobility, and armoured protection, and therefore capable of carrying out the roles of breakthrough, exploitation and infantry support.
Synonyms & antonyms
Similar
MBTuniversal tank
Origin
USA, 1955, main + battle tank.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian осно́вен бо́ен танк
- осно́вен бо́ен танк (osnóven bóen tank)primary tank of a military force
Dutch gevechtstank
- gevechtstankmultipurpose tank
Finnish päätaisteluvaunu, taistelupanssarivaunu
- päätaisteluvaunuprimary tank of a military force
- taistelupanssarivaunumultipurpose tank
French char de combat principal, char de combat
- char de combat principalprimary tank of a military force
- char de combatmultipurpose tank
German Kampfpanzer
- Kampfpanzermultipurpose tank
Malay kereta kebal tempur utama
- kereta kebal tempur utamaprimary tank of a military force
Polish główny czołg bojowy
- główny czołg bojowymultipurpose tank
Portuguese carro de combate principal
- carro de combate principalmultipurpose tank
Romanian tanc de luptă
- tanc de luptămultipurpose tank
Russian основной боевой танк, основной танк
- основной боевой танк (osnovnoj bojevoj tank)primary tank of a military force
- основной танкprimary tank of a military force
Spanish tanque de combate principal
- tanque de combate principalmultipurpose tank
Cite this entry
APA
main battle tank. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/main%20battle%20tank
MLA
“main battle tank.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/main%20battle%20tank. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “main battle tank,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/main%20battle%20tank.
Source: main battle tank on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.