missile
Americannoun
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an object or weapon for throwing, hurling, or shooting, as a stone, bullet, or arrow.
adjective
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capable of being thrown, hurled, or shot, as from the hand or a gun.
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used or designed for discharging missiles.
noun
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any object or weapon that is thrown at a target or shot from an engine, gun, etc
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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)
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( as modifier )
a missile carrier
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Etymology
Origin of missile
1600–10; < Latin, neuter of missilis, equivalent to miss ( us ) (past participle of mittere to send, throw) + -ilis -ile
Explanation
A missile is an object that can be projected toward a target. Examples include a spitball shot through a straw, a poison-tipped arrow sent via bow, or a self-propelled heat-seeking rocket, designed to take out targets at long range. When you learn about the Cuban Missile Crisis in history, the missiles in question were guided rockets loaded with nuclear warheads, supplied to the Cubans by the Soviet Union. A missile defense strategy is one where you send up defensive missile to blow up your enemy's offensive ones before they can reach you.
Vocabulary lists containing missile
Send a Message: Mit and Miss
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Central America and the Caribbean - Introductory
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Central America and the Caribbean - Middle School and High School
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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.
However, missile attacks deep inside Russia have been rare.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
More than 80% at the second tier—the PAC-3 suppliers’ suppliers—provide components to more than one missile program, according to defense software company Govini.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
The Iran World Cup team arrived in Tijuana wearing lapel pins on their jackets acknowledging victims of a Feb. 28 missile strike on an elementary school.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
In his first six years in power, Kim oversaw around 90 ballistic missile tests and four nuclear detonations - more than his father and grandfather combined.
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
“This is our new Teen Dream missile launcher. As you can see, it’s a catapult. You can thank Miss Montana, Miss Ohio, and Miss California for that.”
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
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.
