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air raid (plural air raids)

1. An attack on a surface target by aircraft.
   • 1940 December, “Railways and the War—III”, in Railway Magazine, pages 629–630:

     Air raids on London, which first began on an intensive scale on September 7, occasioned a certain amount of disorganisation to transport services of all kinds.

   • 1946 November and December, “The Why and The Wherefore: Destruction of Locomotive No. 4469, L.N.E.R.”, in Railway Magazine, page 391:

     The L.N.E.R. locomotive damaged beyond repair in the air raid on York, on April 29, 1942, was No. 4469, Sir Ralph Wedgewood, a class "A 4" Pacific.

   • 1984, Steve Harris, "Aces High", Iron Maiden, Powerslave.

     There goes the siren that warns of the air raid / Then comes the sound of the guns sending flak / Out for the scramble we've got to get airborne / Got to get up for the coming attack.

2. (American football) A passing-heavy offensive scheme based on a shotgun formation with four wide receivers and a single running back.

• air raiding
• air-raid shelter
• air raid siren
• air-raid tea

• air strike

• “air raid”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.