The plural of airstrip; simple, unprepared or minimally prepared landing areas for aircraft, often in remote locations.
From 'air' plus 'strip' (from Old English, or possibly from a Scandinavian root meaning 'to tear or strip'). The term became common in WWII when military forces needed quick landing fields.
During WWII and remote expeditions, soldiers and engineers could clear an airstrip in jungle or desert within days—these improvised runways kept supplies flowing to isolated troops and later became critical for accessing remote villages in Africa and South America.
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