shilka
shilka Lexical Profile
• noun
A lightly armored, self-propelled, radar-guided anti-aircraft weapon system (officially the ZSU-23-4) developed by the Soviet Union in the 1960s.
"The military aviation museum recently acquired a restored Shilka to demonstrate Cold War-era air defense technology to visiting students."
A major river in southeastern Russia (Zabaykalsky Krai) that merges with the Argun River along the Chinese border to form the Amur River.
"The expedition mapped the rugged terrain along the banks of the Shilka before it joined the Amur River."
• Rhymes for shilka
Word Origin & Etymology
From Russian Шилка (Shilka), the name of a river in Zabaykalsky Krai, Russia, likely derived from an indigenous Tungusic word. The Soviet anti-aircraft vehicle (ZSU-23-4) was named after this river, adhering to a military convention of naming self-propelled air defense systems after Russian waterways.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.