lincoln
n. countablen. a code word used in aviation to represent the letter L. Pilots and air traffic controllers use it to make sure they are understood clearly over the radio.
n. a phonetic code word representing the letter L, specifically within the United States military and early aviation phonetic alphabets. While largely superseded by 'Lima' in the modern ICAO standard, it remains a recognized historical and regional variant in radio communication.
The pilot identified the aircraft as Lincoln-Alpha-Niner.
Before the international adoption of the NATO phonetic alphabet, American pilots frequently used Lincoln to clarify tail numbers during radio transmissions.
Historical transcripts from mid-century air traffic control towers reveal a transition period where Lincoln was gradually phased out in favor of the now-standardized Lima to ensure global interoperability.
Inherited from Middle English Lincolne, from Old English Lincolle, Lindcolen, Lindcylene, from Latin Lindum Colōnia (“the Roman settlement Lindum Colonia”), from Proto-Brythonic llɨnn (“pool”), from Proto-Celtic lindos (“lake, liquid”), in reference to the Brayford. In the United States, many of the places established since 1865 are named after Abraham Lincoln.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Used as a proper noun in the context of spelling out identifiers; typically capitalized in written logs.
Last updated May 2, 2026