sonobuoy

S1O1N1O1B3U1O1Y4
/ˈsoʊnə(ˌ)bɔɪ/US/-(ˌ)bui/

noun

A buoy that sends a radio signal when it detects the sound of underwater objects (such as submarines).

OriginEnglish buoy ← Latin sonus ← Proto-Indo-European *swónh₂os →
Scrabble 13
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Meanings

nounsonobuoy (plural sonobuoys)

plural sonobuoys

  1. governmentA buoy that sends a radio signal when it detects the sound of underwater objects (such as submarines).

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
radiosonobuoy

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*swenh₂-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*swónh₂os
  3. Latinsonus
  4. Englishsono-
  5. Englishbuoy
  6. Englishsonobuoy

From sono- + buoy.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

sonobuoy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sonobuoy

MLA

“sonobuoy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sonobuoy. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sonobuoy,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sonobuoy.

Source: sonobuoy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.