Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. An object or weapon that is fired, thrown, dropped, or otherwise projected at a target; a projectile.
- n. A guided missile.
- n. A ballistic missile.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Capable of being thrown; adapted to be hurled by the hand, or discharged from a weapon, as from a sling, bow, or gun, or from a military engine.
- n. Anything thrown for the purpose of hitting something; specifically, a weapon or projectile designed for throwing or discharging, as a lance, an arrow, a bullet, or a cannon-ball.
Wiktionary
- n. An object intended to be launched into the air at a target.
- n. military A self-propelled projectile whose trajectory can be adjusted after having been launched.
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Capable of being thrown; adapted for hurling or to be projected from the hand, or from any instrument or engine{2}, so as to strike an object at a distance.
- n. A weapon thrown or projected or intended to be projected, as a lance, an arrow, or a bullet.
- n. A rocket-propelled device designed to fly through the air and deliver a warhead of explosive materials to a target.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a weapon that is forcibly thrown or projected at a targets but is not self-propelled
- n. a rocket carrying a warhead of conventional or nuclear explosives; may be ballistic or directed by remote control
Etymologies
- From Latin missilis ("that may be thrown"), neuter missile ("a weapon to be thrown, a javelin"), in plural missilia ("presents thrown among the people by the emperors"), from mittere ("to send"). (Wiktionary)
- Latin, from neuter of missilis, able to be thrown, from missus, past participle of mittere, to let go, throw. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Those reports included an analysis of Soviet missile strength that contradicted John F. Kennedys missile gap rhetoric or the debunking of Lyndon Johnsons assumptions about the effectiveness of bombing in Vietnam.”
“Cornelio also cautioned the use of the term missile, saying that word suggests the launch of a weapon, which can't be confirmed.”
“STARR: Well, to be clear, what U.S. officials are saying across the administration is when they look at the imagery now, they see what they call a missile body, the Typo Dong II.”
“Use Arabic numerals and capitalize the proper name, but not the word missile: Titan 2 missile.”
Simon & Schuster: Essential Guide to Business Style and Usage
“The United States is pursuing plans to build a radar base in the Czec Republic and install interceptor missiles in Poland to counter what it describes as a missile threat from "rogue states" such as Iran.”
“A "missile" is a projectile, powered during flight by either solid of liquid-fueled engines, with a weaponized payload of some kind (example: SCUDs, 'Katyushas').”
“A short-range missile is test-launched during war games in Qom, Iran, south of Tehran, on Sunday.”
“I wonder if each hellfire missile is emblazoned with the Nobel Peace Prize medal.”
Keywords: Mossad, Dubai, Hamas, Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, strangled. | RedState
“– “Ta Ta Ta Ta Ta” missile is approaching meteor on the radar screen “Ta Ta … Teeee”.”
Superhero Nation: how to write superhero novels and comic books » Brainstormer’s Review Forum
““Ta Ta Ta Ta Ta” missile is approaching meteor on the radar screen “Ta Ta … Teeee”.”
Superhero Nation: how to write superhero novels and comic books » Brainstormer’s Review Forum
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘missile’.
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4087 more...
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Up In The Air @ Wordnik
List of words, terms, and phrases pertaining to or referencing anything that lives, traverses, moves in, uses, or otherwise occupies the space above the ground we walk on. Words and phrases contain...
aeroallergen, aerial, aerial mapping, aerial root, aerobe, aerobiology, aerobioscope, aelophilous, anemotropism, anemoclastic, anafront, antitrades and 273 more...
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POL - What is Mitt talking about?
Key terms from Mitt Romney's election campaign
good and generous..., hard fought election, go back to work, optimistic and po..., confident in the ..., optimism, uniquely American, nation of immigrants, want a better life, life in that plac..., pursuit of the ri..., richness of this ... and 369 more...
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SEDE - weapons
ammunition, anti-aircraft mac..., anti-vehicle mine, automatic machine..., ballistic missile..., bazooka, biological weapons, booby trap, bunker-busting bomb, chemical weapons, cluster bomb, light battleship and 218 more...
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EU - Eurovoc - international relations
ABM Agreement, accession to a co..., accession to a tr..., accession to an a..., achievement of peace, ACP-EC Convention, advanced technolo..., aerospace industry, African organisation, aggression, agreement, agricultural coop... and 851 more...
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big book gre
abase, abbess, abbey, abbot, abdicate, abdomen, abdominal, abduction, abed, aberration, abet, abeyance and 6691 more...
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colleen's words ii
sibilant, sundry, spindle, distaff, device, mortar, pestle, scythe, flail, thresh, frown, elementary and 495 more...
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Basic English Vocabulary
Very basic words for ESL students.
a, abandon, ability, able, abortion, about, above, abroad, absence, absolute, absolutely, absorb and 4334 more...
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Just 'cause I like 'em, M
metamerism, malady, margin, marauder, maverick, mercury, mirth, mandible, macerate, meteor, manumission, mica and 292 more...
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my dictionary
able, abnormally, abroad, absent, abstract, acceptable, acceptance, access, accessible, accession, according to, account and 4551 more...
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Sat Vocabulary List
abandon, abash, abate, abjure, ablution, abnegate, abominable, aboriginal, abortive, abrade, abridge, abrogate and 2155 more...
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SAT PSAT ALPHABETICAL M
macabre, machination, macrocosm, maelstrom, magisterial, magnanimous, magnate, maladaptive, malady, malediction, maleficent, malevolent and 96 more...
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ash
ash
abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abide, abject, abjure and 4874 more...
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U.S. and Them
Words that Americans pronounce differently
aluminium, tomato, herb, apricot, fillet, leisure, vase, cordial, garage, route, oregano, iraq and 17 more...
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Stuffie: Shoots and Ladders
Stuffie #9. Stuff you shoot.
gun, bad guy, movie, breeze, curl, heroin, up, craps, skeet, target, arrow, game and 31 more...
Tweets
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