stealth
/stɛlθ
/noun
1 [mass noun] Cautious and surreptitious action or movement: the silence and stealth of a hungry cat privatization by stealth...
- Rather, the commission is likely to pursue consumption taxation by stealth and indirection.
- Still, the visual dissimilarity among works and within mediums is offset by a coolly consistent emotional tenor that overtakes the viewer as if by stealth.
- The district's cottage hospitals are being undermined by a policy of closure by stealth, a health watchdog has warned.
Synonyms
furtiveness, secretiveness, secrecy, surreptitiousness, sneakiness, slyness, covertness, stealthiness, clandestineness
2 [as modifier] (Chiefly of aircraft) designed in accordance with technology which makes detection by radar or sonar difficult: a stealth bomber...
- But while one of these electro-optical sights will see a stealth aircraft, a radar would not be able to point it in the right direction.
- THE JSF is intended to set new benchmarks in affordability, availability and supportability for a high-performance stealth aircraft.
- In fact, given our advantage in manned aircraft and stealth technology, no enemy is likely to challenge us directly in those areas.
Origin
Middle English (in the sense 'theft'): probably representing an Old English word related to steal, + -th2.