Missile Definition & Meaning

American

British

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms missile American [mis-uhl, -ahyl] / ˈmɪs əl, -aɪl /

noun

1. an object or weapon for throwing, hurling, or shooting, as a stone, bullet, or arrow.

2. guided missile.

3. ballistic missile.

adjective

1. capable of being thrown, hurled, or shot, as from the hand or a gun.

2. used or designed for discharging missiles.

missile British / ˈmɪsaɪl /

noun

1. any object or weapon that is thrown at a target or shot from an engine, gun, etc

2. 1. a rocket-propelled weapon that flies either in a fixed trajectory (ballistic missile) or in a trajectory that can be controlled during flight (guided missile)

   2. ( as modifier )

      a missile carrier

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of missile

1600–10; < Latin, neuter of missilis, equivalent to miss ( us ) (past participle of mittere to send, throw) + -ilis -ile

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Investors flocked to European defense companies in early trade Monday, as the conflict in the Middle East widens and missile technology comes into focus.

From The Wall Street Journal

"The aftermath of a drone or a missile being intercepted. I think that's what happened. So that is in the back of your mind."

From BBC

The UAE, which has already been targeted this weekend by Iranian missiles, not only runs Berbera port, but has a nearby military base that it has recently expanded.

From Barron's

In Denmark, Fire Point, a maker of Ukrainian missiles and drones, is establishing a facility in the southern Jutland region to produce rocket fuel, according to the Danish government.

From The Wall Street Journal

In a separate earlier incident, Healey said two ballistic missiles were fired towards Cyprus although he was "pretty sure" it was not being targeted.

From BBC

Related Words

• ammunition
• bomb
• bullet
• projectile
• rocket

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.