What does missile mean?

Definitions for missile
ˈmɪs əl; esp. Brit. -aɪlmis·sile

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word missile.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. missilenoun

    a rocket carrying a warhead of conventional or nuclear explosives; may be ballistic or directed by remote control

  2. projectile, missilenoun

    a weapon that is forcibly thrown or projected at a targets but is not self-propelled

GCIDE

  1. Missilenoun

    A rocket-propelled device designed to fly through the air and deliver a warhead of explosive materials to a target.

Wiktionary

  1. missilenoun

    An object intended to be launched into the air at a target.

  2. missilenoun

    A self-propelled projectile whose trajectory can be adjusted after having been launched.

  3. Etymology: From missilis, neuter missile, in plural missilia, from mittere.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Missileadjective

    Thrown by the hand; striking at distance.

    Etymology: missilis, Lat..

    We bend the bow, or wing the missile dart. Alexander Pope.

Wikipedia

  1. Missile

    In military terminology, a missile is a guided airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight usually by a jet engine or rocket motor. Missiles are thus also called guided missiles or guided rockets (when a previously unguided rocket is made guided). Missiles have five system components: targeting, guidance system, flight system, engine and warhead. Missiles come in types adapted for different purposes: surface-to-surface and air-to-surface missiles (ballistic, cruise, anti-ship, anti-submarine, anti-tank, etc.), surface-to-air missiles (and anti-ballistic), air-to-air missiles, and anti-satellite weapons. Airborne explosive devices without propulsion are referred to as shells if fired by an artillery piece and bombs if dropped by an aircraft. Unguided jet- or rocket-propelled weapons are usually described as rocket artillery. Historically, the word missile referred to any projectile that is thrown, shot or propelled towards a target; this usage is still recognized today.

ChatGPT

  1. missile

    Missile is a weapon that is self-propelled and guided towards its target. It usually refers to a long-range weapon designed for delivering and detonating explosives or other payloads, and can be launched from the ground, air, or sea. It's often used in military, defense, and space contexts. The term can broadly cover a vast array of armaments, from small, portable shoulder-fired weapons to large intercontinental ballistic missiles carrying nuclear warheads.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Missileadjective

    capable of being thrown; adapted for hurling or to be projected from the hand, or from any instrument or rngine, so as to strike an object at a distance

  2. Missilenoun

    a weapon thrown or projected or intended to be projcted, as a lance, an arrow, or a bullet

  3. Etymology: [L. missils, fr. mittere, missum, to cause to go, to send, to throw; cf. Lith. mesti to throw: cf. F. missile. Cf. Admit, Dismiss, Mass the religious service, Message, Mission.]

Wikidata

  1. Missile

    In a modern military, a missile is a self-propelled guided weapon system, as opposed to a unguided self-propelled munition, referred to as just a rocket . Missiles have four system components: targeting and/or guidance, flight system, engine, and warhead. Missiles come in types adapted for different purposes: surface-to-surface and air-to-surface missiles, surface-to-air missiles, air-to-air missiles, and anti-satellite missiles. All known existing missiles are designed to be propelled during powered flight by chemical reactions inside a rocket engine, jet engine, or other type of engine. Non-self-propelled airborne explosive devices are generally referred to as shells and usually have a shorter range than missiles. An ordinary English-language usage predating guided weapons is simply any thrown object, such as items thrown at players by rowdy spectators at a sporting event.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Missile

    mis′il, adj. that may be thrown from the hand or from any instrument.—n. a weapon thrown by the hand. [L. missilismittĕre, missum, to throw.]

Military Dictionary and Gazetteer

  1. missile

    Capable of being thrown; adapted for hurling, or to be projected from the hand, or from any instrument or engine; as, to wing the missile dart.

  2. missile

    A weapon thrown or intended to be thrown, for doing execution; as, a lance, an arrow, or a bullet.

Editors Contribution

  1. missilenoun

    A computing material of matter unsuitably used in the international system of units of measurement in the pattern of a statutory instrument chiefly expressing a language that engineers a diminutive sense. 1.) an object that is forcibly propelled at a target, either by hand or from a mechanical weapon. A weapon that is self-propelled or directed by remote control, carrying a conventional or nuclear explosive.

    The words in my vocabulary eventually become to form into missiles against my enemies frequency.

    Etymology: Torpedo


    Submitted by Tehorah_Elyon on May 10, 2024  


  2. missilenoun

    Military intelligence megahertz management information system of units of measurement forming names of appliances or instruments. 1.) An object that is forcibly propelled at a target, either by hand or from a mechanical weapon. 2.) Missiles collectively.

    My invisible missiles are authorized to do exactly what they are supposed to do in every situation.

    Etymology: Force


    Submitted by Tehorah_Elyon on March 31, 2024  

Matched Categories

British National Corpus

  1. Nouns Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'missile' in Nouns Frequency: #1921

Anagrams for missile »

  1. similes

  2. smilies

How to pronounce missile?

How to say missile in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of missile in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of missile in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of missile in a Sentence

  1. Carl Schuster:

    They can bomb anyone landing on one of Japan's main islands... but they can't strike Chinese or North Korean air bases or missile sites.

  2. Vice Admiral Robert Murrett:

    The Arctic is a terrific shortcut, whether you're in an aircraft, whether you're underneath the surface of the ocean and also for intercontinental ballistic missile, this goes back to the Cold War.

  3. Russian President Vladimir Putin:

    This is not a defense system. This is part of U.S. nuclear strategic potential brought onto a periphery. In this case, Eastern Europe is such periphery, until now, those taking such decisions have lived in calm, fairly well-off and in safety. Now, as these elements of ballistic missile defense are deployed, we are forced to think how to neutralize emerging threats to the Russian Federation.

  4. Daniel Russel:

    This is what America First gets us - everyone for themselves in lieu of a collaborative network of partners, at a time when North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile arsenals are rapidly expanding, the abrogation of GSOMIA directly harms U.S. national security.

  5. Sergei Ryabkov:

    If the United States rejects this proposal, the natural conclusionthat we draw is that they headed for the creation of attack systems fordeployment in outer space. There is no other logical conclusion fromthis position of their denial, we, by the way, have manyreasons to be concerned about the activities that the US is conductingin outer space, about their plans, including plans to deploy elementsof an anti-ballistic missile system in space.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

missile#1#9640#10000

Translations for missile

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"missile." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 May 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/missile>.

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